


Love the Way You Lie

by Naiira_Harlow



Category: Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Marvel Avengers Movies RPF, The Avengers (2012), The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Fantasy, Romance, Sexual Content, Tesseract
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-30
Updated: 2013-02-07
Packaged: 2017-11-27 13:23:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/662480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naiira_Harlow/pseuds/Naiira_Harlow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Naiira was an orphan taken in by the infamous Tony Stark.  Unlike other humans, she has special powers that allow her to manipulate energy.  A man claiming to be a god contacts her and helps her understand much more about herself than she would have liked.  Is she even human?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

I was strange for a human. In many ways I felt inhuman. My parents left me when I was born on the steps of the orphanage and since then I never fit in. Most kids were interested in dolls and building blocks while I became fascinated with technology. By the age of seven I could fully disassemble a desktop computer and by nine I could put it back together in the correct order of function. The mistress of the orphanage was very attracted to Tony Stark, leader of Stark enterprises and one of the best engineers in the world. Her entire private collection of books was written by Stark and through his words I entered into a new domain.

At eleven I was freely fixing electronic appliances in the orphanage without being seen. Yet despite my entire intellectual prowess, there was no one to share it with. All of the other kids thought I was weird, a freak for my unnatural habits and strange colored ethereal blue eyes. None of the couples who came through would adopt me, mostly because despite my intellect for a young age I was dangerously shy.

It was one day that I started tinkering with an old pocket watch I had found in the grass when my strangeness hit its peak. I started giving off a strange blue energy that fixed any device I touched. I even got a flashlight to work without the batteries! There were voices that started appearing in my head, people talking about me, about themselves and others. I had discovered the ability to read minds. With practice I was able to choose who I listened to and blocked out the noise most of the time. By the time I turned fifteen, I was a freak. Some of the kids had seen my so called powers and though the adults pretended not to believe, they still gave me a wide berth.

I was alone and for a while I thought that I would stay that way.

"Come right back you here? Get what we need and leave, I don't want you around normal people too long, they'll know." I hated the way she talked, that bitch of a woman who owned the orphanage. I had long forgotten her name on purpose calling her M'am in public and bitch in my mind. It was a Sunday and all of the usual volunteers weren't there. Since M'am was a lazy little bitch, she refused to go out and buy groceries herself. I was the oldest kid in the group home where I was forced to reside so I got the brunt of the duties. It was like any other Sunday at first. The grocery store was packed to the brim with people, several giving me funny looks since I was alone. I ignored them and headed back to the electronics section. There was practically no one except a very familiar man working behind the desk.

"Troy! You got something for me?" I asked curiously. Troy chuckled.

"Yeah, we don't sell it here, but it's Stark so you'll love it." I practically drooled as he reached behind his desk for the merchandise. Let's get this straight, Troy was a kid from the group home who had always felt sorry for me. When he got adopted we met in the grocery store and we had been decent friends ever since. We shared a love for technology, that was close enough for me. He was a good looking boy with dirty blond hair, long oval face, and dark brown eyes. He was tall and lean with a pair of rimless glasses that were sitting on his nose. His new father was a worker for Stark industries and sometimes got to take merchandise home, lucky me!

"Here it is babe." He slid a small brown package onto the desk. I ripped it apart and Troy chuckled. My abnormal blue eyes glimmered as they became set on the new piece of technology. It had a silver metal rim with rolls of copper wire around it. The entire thing was tarnished, attached to a silver ring by the wire descending from the end. The compact device was familiar.

"You got me an arc reactor!" I whispered, closing the box so no one else would see. He shrugged.

"Stark wants a few of the engineers to know the parts so that they can at least fix it. This is one of the old ones, not perfect like the one Stark has but…" I grinned, making him stop.

"This is awesome! Do you have any idea what you just gave me? It's like handing a gold digger a huge diamond and asking her if she likes it. This is beautiful! I'll finally get to study the arc technology." I had almost died and gone to heaven. I peaked at it again, seeing the blue center flicker before my eyes. The copper wires were crude and even the framing looked archaic, compared to the pictures I had seen of the others anyway.

"This is…"

"Excuse me! You wouldn't happen to be Dr. Lions son would you?" I closed the box quickly and shot around making my bright crimson hair fly into my eyes. My bangs got loose from behind my ear and fell slightly in front of my face. The woman who had spoken was tall, lanky with smooth milky skin that had a reddish tint. She had high cheekbones, full lips, blue eyes, and sandy ginger hair. Her long sleeved white blouse was pressed to perfection as well as her tight knee length black skirt. I had a feeling that all those clothes were designer. Anyone who knew Tony Stark knew who this woman was.

"You're Pepper Potts." I whispered. The woman was smiling, it fit her face. She turned from Troy to me, blushing a little.

"I didn't think I was that famous. Yes I'm Pepper Potts, can I ask your name?" I gulped, this was almost as awesome as meeting the man himself.

"I-I'm Naiira, just a friend of Troy's." Great now I decide to stutter. I couldn't think of anything to say. This woman was my hero, she worked next to Tony Stark on a daily basis, got to see the real engineering in action.

"That's a surprisingly beautiful name. Are your parents friends with Troy's too?" It wasn't a rude question, she didn't know after all. I blushed slightly.

"Um…no I don't have parents." I whispered. Pepper looked embarrassed.

"Oh goodness I didn't mean to offend you. I heard you two talking over here and just thought…" She looked thoughtful for a moment. I finally got the guts to ask.

"What's he like?" Pepper's head shot up, looking at me confused.

"What?"

"Stark, what's he like?" It was a strange question really, making me sound like I had a crush on the older man. Troy chuckled behind me, making me feel a little embarrassed about the question.

"You have an interest in To…Mr. Stark?" She corrected herself. I blushed and shook my head.

"No! Well not that way anyway. I'm fascinated with his work on the Arc Reactor! I've read all of his books, I've even fixed some of his…" I shut my mouth, looking back at Troy. Pepper looked between us and raised an eyebrow. I had said too much.

"Well, um, I should go or M'am will wonder where I am." I muttered and scurried off to finish the groceries, keeping my new treasure close as I went back to the orphanage.

!

Pepper POV

Pepper set the groceries down in her apartment, thinking about what the boy had said about the strange orphan girl. He had told her that his father had been giving him scrap pieces that he in turn was giving to the girl. He even showed Pepper one of the pieces that the girl had made. It was an engineering masterpiece, a solar energy powered panel of lighting colors. According to the boy, she had made it when she was eleven years old. The girl reminded her of Tony, genius but shy. That box the girl had taken must have had more parts in it. Pepper became curious as to what she would make with it. Perhaps she would go find out.

!

Normal POV

It may have been an archaic arc reactor, but it was beautiful. I tinkered with it using the tools I had stolen from the boiler room downstairs. Many of the wires were torn and a few pieces of metal were broken, but it was easy enough to fix using my power. The energy took tangible form, moving the wires and plates into place and melding them together. I knew most things about the arc reactor after studying separate parts given to me by Troy. This one would be a basis for my own. I charged it, the blue light coming to life showing a cracked cover which fixed itself with my help. I stared into the blue light, fascinated by this small yet powerful piece of technology.

"Thank you Tony Stark."

Over the next week I took apart many pieces of computers, dishwasher, blender, any type of electronics that had the pieces I needed. During the night I worked on the arc reactor, my own made of parts around the home. I got beatings many times because they knew it was me taking things, but I kept the pieces, melding them together. It was harder to find some pieces among the appliances so I took apart the old inventions to make up for that. When the month came to an end I was still missing one piece. Luckily, it was Sunday and I knew Troy had my piece. I practically skipped into the store towards Troys desk.

"I need the solar panel lights." I whispered to him. Troy lifted an eyebrow.

"You finished it?" He asked curiously. I shook my head but pulled out the almost finished product. It looked just as crude as the one I had received, but all it was missing was a cover for the now shining blue light in the center. Troy beamed.

"You really are a genius Nai, I hope somebody realizes it." He shook his head, reaching back under his desk and pulling out his book bag. He pulled out the lit up panels and I pulled one piece off of the to, an iridescent piece of quartz I had been given by a couple who thought I was cute. I placed it onto the reactor and the blue light glowed now in different refractions and colors.

"Finished." I smiled and covered it up, sticking it in a black canvas draw string bag and handing it to Troy.

"What do you want me to do with this?" He asked curiously.

"You have to have your dad take it to Mr. Stark. Please Troy, I really want to know if I did it right." I pleaded. He looked surprised, but it seems it wasn't because of my request.

"How about I take you straight to him and you can ask him yourself." Pepper Potts had appeared again, her eyes on the black canvas bag that was shining slightly. I froze, I was in so much trouble. Troy wasn't supposed to let the technology leak out to anyone.

"I swear I didn't mean to steal it, I made him do it I…" Pepper held up her hand and smiled.

"It's okay Naiira, but I do want to see that. I'm sure Tony would also have interest in it." I fidgeted slightly.

"Well, the original is back at the group home." Pepper's eyes widened.

"You mean, you didn't fix the old one, but made a new one? All on your own?" She whispered. I nodded and handed her the black bag. She opened the drawstring and pulled out the small copper ring that shimmered different colors. It was highly similar to the one I received, but it used more copper (from melted pennies) than the last, securely wrapping the structure of metal and silver rings.

"I pulled copper wires from the computer for the rim, I wanted it to look like the original." Pepper stared in awe at the little device. It looked almost exactly like the original she had framed for Tony so long ago. Yet this one was different somehow, many little quirks that Tony hadn't used were around it.

"Did you really mean it?" I asked, breaking the silence, hoping to dream.

"If you mean bringing you to Mr. Stark then yes I meant it." My eyes lit up like the fourth of July. If I didn't know my manners I would have tackled Pepper to the ground.

"I think you just made her day Miss Potts." Troy chuckled. I fidgeted again.

"Can I um…hug you?" I asked curiously. Pepper smiled and nodded. I moved forward and walked into her arms. It was the first hug I had in a long time and it felt good to have another person's arms around me. She smelled like apples, a happy scent that reminded me of orchards I had gone to on field trips as a kid. If only she knew at that moment that she saved my life.

Pepper walked me home and promised to come get me tomorrow morning. I was so excited that I was going to meet the Tony Stark! Perhaps this freak was going places!

"And perhaps you're delusional." I stopped midstep, where in the world had that voice come from? It wasn't from anywhere around me, was that in my head?

"It's called telepathy, speaking to others through mind waves. I'm afraid your thoughts were so loud I contacted you to hush." I blushed, trying to gather my thoughts.

"You really are rather frustrating woman. Would you please stop keeping your mind so open?" I tried to block my thoughts, but it didn't work.

"I don't know how." Even in my head it sounded weak. There was silence for a few moments. I made my way back to my room before the voice spoke again.

"Listen, just imagine a wall, a tall one to block me out." I sat down and closed my eyes, trying to imagine a large brick wall. Silence and then the voice once more.

"Well you blocked most of it. You aren't very good at speaking through mind are you?" It was definitely a male voice, deep and distinct. It was a smooth and handsome voice with a suave tone.

"I don't have anyone to practice with. I'm alone." My voice still sounded quiet unlike the easily distinct voice in my head. Before the voice could answer me the door to my room slammed open.

"You little bitch! What is this?!" It was the bitch and in her hand of the original arc reactor. I had given the other to Pepper for safe keeping. The first had been hidden in a small opening in the back of a brick in the backyard attached to the house.

"None of your business." I hissed. The bitch walked in and slammed the reactor onto the ground. It didn't break, but when she stomped on it, a few things cracked and unspun.

"You freak! I knew as soon as I found you I should have left you on the street! Stealing from Stark Enterprises is unforgivable!" The bitch walked forward and smacked my left cheek with the back of her hand. I got knocked back into the wall as the bitch moved towards me again.

"Freak! Disgusting Freak!" She beat me about the arms and legs, whipping my torso with what felt like a piece of leather. It must have been her belt. My skin stung with the contact. My mind was blocked, I couldn't concentrate on anything. I screamed out a few times, little yelps when the leather met my skin. Welts of blood began to appear where she struck. I tried to guard my face from the blows but she managed to get my chin and forehead a few times. I was going to die here, she would beat me to death. After meeting Pepper Potts and learning that I would meet Tony Stark I was going to die. Of course life hated me, why would I be allowed to live?

My body heated up, the blood running onto my face suddenly glowing silver. The beating stopped as I glowed bright blue. The bitch ran out of the room, closing the door and locking it behind her. She wouldn't be back, but that meant I was dead anyway. The glow disappeared as I felt my body give in. I had lost too much blood. I reached out to the first reactor, the one piece of my life that had meant something and pulled the broken device to my chest. The blue power was faltering and as I closed my eyes the power winked out.


	2. Chapter 2: Tony Stark

When Pepper came the next day to get Naiira, the lady who ran the group home claimed to have never heard of her. Lucky for her, Tony had agreed to come along after seeing the reactor the girl had made out of little less than kitchen appliances. The woman gushed and cooed as Tony pulled up in one of his expense sports cars. When he also asked to see Naiira, the ladies face fell.

"You don't want to see her sir, she is a little thief! I even found one of your inventions she was hiding out back." Tony didn't miss a beat.

"Yea, I asked Pepper to give it to her. She's the friend of someone I know." It was amazing how civil Tony could be in public. The lady looked nervous as she led them up the stairs. She pulled out a set of keys and opened up a door somewhere in the back.

"Do you keep all your kids back here?" Pepper asked curiously as the door opened. What lay behind made Pepper run in and look the young girl over. There was blood everywhere, fresh from the smell of it. Yet as she inspected Naiira she could find no visible injuries. The lady didn't look horribly surprised at any of the scene.

"Tony we can't leave her here." Pepper pleaded with the billionaire, lifting the girl into her own arms.

"How do we go about this…adopting thing?" So that was it. Tony signed off on a few papers and he officially had a daughter. Pepper laid the girl in the back of the limo so that her head was in the older woman's lap. She ran her hands through the girls long crimson hair, observing the new addition to the family.

Naiira was a beauty, that was about the extent of it. Her abnormally silky bright crimson hair waved down her back and shone gold in the light. The unblemished silky pale skin was smooth to the touch and almost milky in tone. She wore a black half sleeve shirt with the symbol for what Pepper assumed was a band. It was a bunch of celtic knots. The shirt didn't reach down her stomach all the way so her slim stomach peaked from the fabric. A pair of rather ratty low cut jeans rested on the girls hips along with a pair of shoes that looked like they had been worn forever.

"So this is the girl huh? You really know how to win me Pepper, who knew I'd ever have a kid." Stark chuckled as he looked down at the girl with interest. Pepper slid some of the crimson hair behind the girl's delicate ear. Her ears were pierced, studs in the lobes and three more piercings in the cartilage above that on the right ear.

"A rebel, seems like me." Tony helped himself to a drink as Pepper watched the girl sleep.

"I think we should get her to a hospital, you know, just in case." She suggested watching warily at the girls rising and falling breaths as if afraid they could stop any moment.

"At least we agree on that." Tony tapped on the window to the driver's seat.

"Yes sir?" Happy's voice came over the intercom.

"Jarvis, take us to my private clinic, we have a young girl who may need some assistance."

"Very well sir."

!

Normal POV

When I woke up the light in my eyes was practically unbearable. As I blinked away the sleep I found myself staring up at a rather white ceiling. I couldn't still be in the group home, there was no place this clean or this white there. I shot up, suddenly realizing I was on a soft mattress, yep definitely not in the group home. Where the hell was I?

"Good miss you are awake." I jumped about fifty feet in the air and fell off the bed, sliding underneath the dark wooden frame.

"What the fuck?!" I yelled.

"There's no need for alarm Miss Naiira, my name is Jarvis." I slid out from under the bed and took in my surroundings. It was a massive room with dark green carpet, walls, and drapes. A large circular light shone blue above the carpet lighting the corners of the room. There was a desk and a large wardrobe of the same dark wood as the bed frame. The rest of the floor was empty of things. There was a large double door to the left of the wardrobe and on the opposite wall, a smaller one. Along the walls were scattered various paintings of women, none of which I recognized off the top of my head.

"Jarvis? As in Stark's personal Jarvis?" I asked curiously.

"That is correct Miss Naiira. If you are well enough Mr. Stark wishes to see you as soon as possible." I flushed, my blood pounding in my veins. I looked down at myself, noticing the ragged clothes and slight blood stains. How had I gotten here in the first place? The last thing I remembered was being beaten and then darkness. Had Pepper come to see me after all? I shook my head, deciding to ask about the circumstances later. I stood and brushed myself off. It didn't help much.

"Do you think I could get a shower and some clothes?" I asked. The wardrobe opened to reveal a few different outfits including shoes. The small door in the corner also opened, steam already building up from the hot water.

"Anything else miss?" I smiled.

"No, thank you though."

I stripped off my old clothes and set them in a small hamper just inside the bathroom door. The shower was already running. Like the décor of the bedroom, the walls were painted the same deep green, but this time with painted silver and blue flowers in the niches where the wall met the ceiling. The usual white marble I was used to in bathrooms was black. The sinks, toilet, bathtub, even the floor were the same black marble with white whisps throughout. It had a rather beautiful effect. Not only that, but I could move around very easily with all the space provided, it was a huge bathroom. I pushed back the sliding door to the bath and stepped into the water. It was warm, but not overly so. My muscles relaxed under the stream and I took my time washing with the various soaps, shampoos, and conditioners already set up behind the shower head.

After getting a nice shower I attempted to put some clothes on. The bras were all too small and none of the shirts fit over my boobs. The pants fit like a dream though so I picked out a nice pair of light blue jeans and matching flip flops. At least somehow there were informal clothes to wear.

"Uh Jarvis, is there anything in here of another size?" I asked, still blushing even though Jarvis was a robot technically, he didn't care. The wardrobe closed and I could hear the spinning until the door opened again. Inside was my bra and shirt from before, dry cleaned and perfect. I smiled and put them on, loving the tight fit of the material. I made sure everything was on straight before following Jarvis's instructions to the living room.

"Oh wonderful! I'm glad to see you awake Naiira, we were so worried." Pepper smiled happily as she came out of one of the doors to my right. She was wearing a light purple dress today and pearls around her neck which showed off her pearly skin.

"Oh right." I remembered the night before and how I had practically been beaten to a pulp. It had happened before and it seemed the wounds had all healed as before.

"Don't worry, we had a doctor check you over and there was nothing wrong." I wondered what she would think of me if she knew what I was? I was sure she'd be the same, think I was a freak and cast me out. I nodded and Pepper motioned for me to follow her. We walked down the hall in silence. I was honestly too nervous to say much. Pepper stopped in front of a large oak door to our left and knocked three times. There was a grunt from inside. Pepper smiled and opened the door for me allowing me to enter, she followed close behind. Once inside she closed the door behind us.

"So I heard you're the girl who made this little thing?" There he was, Tony Stark in all his glory. His dark blue eyes were staring right at me. The dark brown hair covering his head and face was exactly like it had been in all the magazines. He even looked more muscular in person with his dark blue long sleeve shirt that had the sleeves rolled up and light tan khakis. He was holding up my arc reactor in his hand.

"Um…yes." I couldn't think of anything else to say. What was I supposed to say? My god I've idealized you for my whole childhood? Stark set the device down on the desk and poured himself a glass of what looked like scotch. He turned back to me, one hand in his pocket, still showing the solid silver rolex on his wrist.

"I know it must be a bit, intimidating to be near me? Trust me I get it with Pepper all the time. Seems even the younger generation gets antsy." Pepper cleared her throat in frustration. I raised an eyebrow looking from her to him. Stark cleared his own throat and put the scotch glass down on his desk.

"Well, I guess I should make you aware of the fact that I'm taking you on as an apprentice." What was he talking about?

"What?" I asked. I couldn't believe it. All because of that little reactor I had built? Really?

"Yes I had advised Tony that being a father figure means showing his new daughter the ropes." My heart stopped.

"What?!" Pepper came up next to me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I saw the way that woman treated you and I asked Tony to adopt you." She smiled. Tony shrugged.

"If anything else I get somebody who knows what they are doing in my lab, you know laze around when Pepper wants to go out." Tony waggled his eyebrows. I forgot manners and tackled the older man into a hug. I could hear the steady beating of his heart, feel the warmth from the arc reactor keeping him alive.

"Thank you." I whispered, keeping my arms tight around his waist. He didn't really react for a while until finally wrapping his arms loosely around my torso. I was crying, the tears soaking Tony's shirt but I didn't care. I had been saved and perhaps now I could actually have a family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit short, even after rewriting it.


	3. Chapter 3: Mind Imaging

"How do you find life lately? What's it like being the daughter of Tony Stark?" These and other constant questions were yelled at me by paparazzi when the world found out Stark had taken a girl into his home, a young one at that. During the first week of my stay I was shown into Tony's private lab, even given the key for it. I had already taken on the project of helping him create a better more "fashionable" reactor to keep his heart beating. During that week I had tried to find the courage to tell him what I could do, but I kept wimping out. I already knew it would take a while.

So on my eighteenth birthday I told Pepper instead. I know that seems weird, but she understood and actually condoned my gift calling it beautiful the few times she saw it. I was happier than you can imagine and it helped me to finally tell Tony. He reacted way too much when he found out. He started letting me work on the Ironman suit, the suit he wore in battle against enemies of the people. That's right, along with Pepper I was practically a superheroes sidekick.

"So you seem happy, but your mind is still quite loud." It was the voice! The one from the night I had been beaten. I hadn't spoken to him since I was fifteen.

"It's been years, have I shut up enough for you or are you really that lonely?" A chuckle from the voice.

"You have a point, there are none here that have the capabilities to speak this way." His speech was still quite formal, I wondered if that was just the way he spoke.

"I didn't really have a name to give you before. My full name is Naiira Freya Stark. My father picked the middle name when I told him I like norse mythology." He chuckled once more.

"You really don't know who you speak to do you Midgardian?" I knew that word, Midgard was one of the realms of Yggdrasil, the tree of life.

"You speak of Midgard, home of humans, the middle realm of Yggdrasil, the great tree. You like norse mythology too?" I could somehow feel the man smile across our connection.

"I knew you had more intellect than a normal Midgardian just like the power you wield is extraordinary." I thought for a minute, but I didn't recall the man telling me his name. Nor did I remember anything of what he said before except telling me to shut up cause my mind was loud. Then again, how did he know anything about me?

"You underestimate me mortal, as usual you leave your thoughts open. I keep everything of caliber in my notice. Your energy is one that transcends the nine realms, one I have never felt from your kind. As to my name, you give yours too freely. They call me a god." I frowned. Sure telepathy was a rare ability, but did he really think he was above me? I tried to stop thinking, but the questions kept coming.

"Your kind never was one for self control."

"I'm sorry, I don't really know how to talk to a god." I was doubtful. The whole god thing had never sat well with me. I didn't believe in the Christian god or any of the other religious figures simply because they were never there when I needed them. I used to pray, but it did no good so it was easy to give up.

"I can hear your thoughts you know mortal and I don't appreciate your sarcasm." He hissed. I had forgotten he was in my mind.

"Can you prove it then?" My body suddenly felt numb as if I had fallen asleep and I found myself in darkness. My senses slowly came back to me. I was standing, that much was obvious, but on what I did not know. There was no light anywhere that I could see even if I tried to squint.

"Proof enough for you foolish girl?" I couldn't see anything.

"Are there any lights in here?" The darkness flickered slightly until the scene of a forest appeared, a waterfall falling before me. I could feel the water spray on my face, hear the birds singing in the trees. The lush green was pierced by waves of sunlight. I could even smell the fresh dew on the grass, feel the wind as it rustled through the trees. It was beautiful.

"You have to be kidding me!" I practically jumped out of my skin when someone tapped my shoulder. The person chuckled and I turned to face them. He was beautiful really. His midnight black slicked hair reached just below his ears, the pale skin contrasting with the dark color. He wore some sort of armor with leather straps. It was gold, black, and green in designs I had never seen before giving him a very regal look. A pair of black boots with golden markings adorned his feet. Yet the most beautiful thing about him were those eyes, the bright liquid emeralds that shone above his high cheekbones. Before my eyes a golden helmet materialized on his head with horns that protruded and bent back. In his hand was a golden scepter with a blade at the end. It was as tall as him so a few inches taller than me. His lean body moved with such grace as he walked towards me, his smile showing off those pearly white teeth. There was no way a human could be this gorgeous.

"Do you believe now?" I nodded carefully, my jaw dropping slightly but I tried really hard not to drool. He was the most beautiful creature I had ever laid eyes on. A smirked tugged at the gods lips. I hadn't figured he could still read my mind here. When I finally closed my mouth a blush dusted my cheeks.

"So uh…why did you contact me again?" I couldn't look at him, it was like staring into the sun, beautiful and forbidden. I felt like just looking at someone like him was a sin. He lifted up my chin and our eyes met. My legs practically went limp.

"You interest me of course. Any realm that holds a woman of powers like yours is in my notice." He sounded even better in person. His smooth voice was soothing, almost seductive even. Then I remembered something I had read from mythology long ago. I studied the figure before me again, taking into account the colors and costume, especially the golden helmet with abnormally large horns.

"Alright god, how about we make a deal?" The man's smirk widened.

"What did you have in mind?" I sat down upon the grass and watched his reaction.

"A wager of sorts. If I can guess your name you give me answers." I was curious not only about what he knew of me, but of who and what he actually was. Knowing full well he could read my mind I allowed these thoughts to flow, the questions popping within my mind.

"Of course and what do I get if you don't answer correctly?" I pondered this. What might I have that he may want?

"What would you want of me?" The smirk turned into a rather impish grin.

"Your magic."

"You mean to steal it from me?" I was confused. He chuckled.

"No, I wish to harness it. Your energy is much different than that of the my own. I wish to know all about that power and perhaps use it." I had a feeling whatever the outcome he would try for my abilities no matter how scarce. I almost regretted bringing it up…almost.

"Alright, agreed then." The man pushed his dark green cape out from behind him and sat upon a nearby rock. The scene changed to where the waterfall disappeared. The same forest surrounded us, but the running water was gone.

"Rules oh great one."

"I shall create one and so shall you to make it fair. You get three guesses." I nodded, that was fair enough.

"Then I also get three answers that you must answer truthfully and fully. If I'm not detailed enough you can be vague." I enjoyed a challenge. Learning the name without making it hard would just be boring. The god smirked and nodded.

"First question then, if you are a god then what peoples created a mythology with you in it using your name?" The gods face went blank.

"My brother called them Vikings, your people would know them as the same." So norse mythology then, that made sense somehow. I wondered if things I read about any of them were true.

"Are you a magic user?" The god raised an eyebrow, but nodded stiffly. So a mythological god worshipped by the Vikings who uses magic, obviously, and has a brother of some sort. The problem being, the more I thought about it the less I came up with. Many of the norse gods used magic, well what we considered magic anyway. Also, the fact that he had a brother didn't lessen the pool either, probably why he let it slip in the first place. I took to observing him again. The last question would need to be thought over carefully. If mythology was right (I hoped it was), he couldn't be Thor, there was no hammer in sight and that thing was supposed to be attached to the man's hip. He had held a spear at the beginning which showed a craft for the weapon most likely otherwise he would not needlessly carry it around. If only I had a laptop on hand I could look at Wikipedia. I made sure of my choice before voicing my question.

"How would you win a game you are losing?" It was a question that had caught the god off guard of course. I waited, baiting his reaction.

"You wouldn't of course. A losing game is not worth sacrificing to simply win." I smiled.

"Thought so god of mischief and lies." The man looked pleased.

"I have underestimated you mortal, what gave me away?" I smiled.

"You answered too quickly, I figured it meant your quick witted nature was due to silver tongue, but I did just guess after all." He chuckled.

"I gave you three guesses and you only used one impressive. However if I had wished to conceal my identity further I would have done so. You are correct, I am Loki Odinson, brother of Thor and Prince of Asgard." So mythology was incorrect. There were plenty of sources saying Loki was Odin's brother, or that he wasn't even a god. Loki snorted in disgust.

"Mortals have a rather annoying habit of spinning stories they don't fully understand nor care to." He was reading my mind again.

"How come I can't read your thoughts?" Loki smirked.

"Practice, I've head centuries of it. The skill does not simply fall into your lap as I'm sure you've noticed. I can read you like a novel laid before me." I blushed, of course I should have known that.

"So what questions might you have mortal? You did win our wager."

"First, call me Naiira please, the mortal thing is making me depressed." Loki's lips turned up.

"Agreed. Your questions?" I shook my head.

"How do I know you aren't using silver tongue?" I asked. For a moment he looked surprised and then laughed out loud.

"You truly are a fascinating woman Naiira." When my name rolled off his tongue I found myself loving the sound. It sounded so perfect in his voice.

"Well thank you then. How did you do this by the way?" I asked, motioning to the scene around us. Loki smirked and the scene changed to a balcony of alabaster looking out a full moon over what looked like ancient Egypt.

"I have had practice and with that comes the knowledge to create worlds of my own from images in my mind. If you practiced, you could do it too. This is also how I was able to pull you into my mind, a connection and a little magic." The spear and helmet disappeared, leaving him in all his perfect glory. Without really thinking I pressed my hand against his chest. He flinched slightly but didn't move away. I could feel the leather against my palm, the slight warmth of his body emanating from his skin.

"This is amazing! You don't think you could teach me could you?" I asked, touching the various parts of his armor. The cape was my favorite, like silk yet so much more light, like air in my palms.

"I suppose, but I have a request in return." I frowned, of course he would have said that.

"Well?" He smirked and pulled the cape from my fingers.

"You swear to keep me and everything you have learned from me a secret from all others." It didn't seem too hard, but I didn't really know whether I could trust him.

"If I can have assurance of your deal I'm in." Loki smiled, pulling out a knife from his belt and pressing it quickly to my bottom lip. It was so quick I barely felt it. This made me wonder how sharp the knife really was. He placed the knife on his own lip and I watched the blood fall, almost unaware of my own blood dripping down my chin. Loki pulled my face to his as our lips met. I tasted the iron of blood and somehow I knew it wasn't mine. He sucked on my bottom lip and allowed me to do the same. Electric pulses shot up my spine. I was in freaking heaven! We broke apart and he nodded.

"Deal."

!

!

"So what's it like? Asgard I mean." I asked Loki after about two days of training my mind with him. He sighed.

"It isn't as amazing as you think it is." His tone was melancholy as he said it.

"It has to be at least a little amazing, you live there." He grinned.

"You are a charmer Naiira, perhaps I should call you silver tongue from now on." I giggled. We were in water scene today, tropical and our feet were dipped into the cool water.

"Well, tell me what it's like then. All I've really heard from you is how best to put up a barrier." I laid back against the ground. My feet suddenly felt dry, he had changed the scene. We were laying on what looked to be a beautiful rainbow colored crystal. Looking to my left I found it ended in a bright gold dome that looked similar to an observatory with a large pointed top.

"That is the bifrost gate, it is the only way to travel through realms and only asgardians have access to it. It's guarded by Heimdall, the gatekeeper." Loki explained, I nodded, staring down at the beautiful crystal below me. Colors refracted in their own light as the ethereal glow of the stars lit up the sky. There didn't seem to be any sun or moon for that matter.

"So this is part of it too right?" I asked, pointing at the crystal. Loki nodded. Below the bridge was a roaring sea that flowed over the edge of the realm, but when it hit the atmosphere it evaporated. Unlimited water it seemed as well.

"Your world has an edge." I smiled, thinking back to the theory that the world was flat. Loki nodded again.

"Yes, that is the sea of Asgard which flows into the stars. Our realm is held up by clouds beneath our sea." I had never imagined such an interesting concept, it had not even been brought up in mythology. The scene shifted and I practically gasped in awe. The expanse of crystal reached towards a large mountain which held many glittering gold and silver buildings. The archways and doors leading to the island were also golden with ornate carvings of battles on the surface. The light of the stars and the beautiful colors of the sky lit up the world I stared upon. Many of the buildings had moving parts, floating with no connection to the original structure. Magic I assumed, or perhaps more science than I realized.

"This is Asgard, my home." He whispered. It was such a small world compared to my own but it was glorious, more beautiful than the imagined paradises of humans. I found myself mesmerized by the city. A city built for the gods I realized.

"Is that magic?" I asked curiously, pointing at the floating pieces of the structures. Loki smiled and chuckled.

"Yes, in a way. I think it's a mixture of magic and the creation you humans call science." I wrung my hands, watching the scene once more. It was just too beautiful to keep my eyes off of.

"I'd love to take something that big apart." My eyes sparkled in wonder as I watched the world until it suddenly faded from view back into the tropical lake. I looked down at Loki, questioning him with my glance, but he looked so forlorn.

"To tell you the truth Asgard is perfect but I've never felt like it was my home, not for a long time now." He whispered. I moved closer to him and nudged his shoulder.

"Well if Asgard isn't what you want, I can share Earth well Midgard." I smiled, listening to Loki breathe. Even after such a short time we had gotten close. It could have been the strange kiss we had shared sometime before or maybe it was because we were similar in ways we didn't understand. I placed my hand over his.

"At every turn you surprise me. How can you be so sure I would fit in with mortals?" He asked. I smiled.

"Because you already do fit into my world." It was cheesy, but it still fit. It was silent for a moment.

"Do you want to know what the kiss was for, why we exchanged blood?" He brought up randomly. I had been rather curious about it before, but didn't ask out of respect. He continued even though I didn't answer.

"It keeps me from using silver tongue on you among other things. The kiss made an irreversible spell that bonds you to me. My blood is in you as your blood is within me. I hope that does not discourage you from staying in my company." He huffed the last part. I shook my head.

"It's kind of cool really, I'm bonded with a god. I gotta say that's probably the most awesome thing ever." I giggled and leaned back onto the grass. Loki followed suit. The sky above us was alight with colors, stars, and planets as they flew over our heads.

"You really are strange." He chuckled. I smiled.

"Yes, but at least it makes us similar don't you think?"


	4. Chapter 4: Life of a Stark

"You need to concentrate harder or there won't be anything." I frowned.

"Isn't it obvious that I'm trying? I'm not a god." I huffed. Loki chuckled and I heard him move until his chest plate came in contact with my back. My eyes shot open and I tried to turn, but Loki held me still. His arms moved to where they positioned my hands, palm flat forward towards the tree in front of me. The heat of his body made a chill run up my spine. His breath was in my ear, tickling the shell.

"Just hold this and press, through here." He tapped my forehead. When he withdrew my body tingled slightly from the contact. I stared at my palms, trying to concentrate on creating a barrier. A bright blue spark expanded from my hands, but petered out before I could expand it. Loki chuckled again.

"Your thoughts are amusing, but perhaps worth a try." He pressed himself to my back once again and held my wrists. It was distracting, but the spark returned when I concentrated on the heat of Loki's body. I was feeling his heartbeat against my back. I wondered whether he felt my own heart fluttering in my chest. The barrier was flickering, but still solid in my palms as Loki who pressed into my back.

"It seems your magic reacts to my own. That is quite interesting." He pulled away and the barrier disappeared. I felt like jelly, but tried to think of anything else.

"You can't lie to the god of lies my dear." I jumped, Loki's sudden closeness made me fall back on my ass. He chuckled again.

"Would you stop doing that?" He raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Doing what?"

"Reading my mind without permission." He looked thoughtful for a moment.

"No." I frowned.

"Why not?"

"You are a mortal, a natural born liar. How might I trust you if I stop reading your thoughts?" I shook my head.

"It's called trust. If I lie to you then you have a right to read my mind, but I haven't yet so why not?" His emerald gaze was set on my face.

"So are you." He raised an eyebrow.

"I suppose you are right. We shall do it your way then. However, if I catch you in even one lie I can read your thoughts with no consequence." I nodded.

"Done, now what was that about your magic reacting with mine?" Loki placed his palm against mine. The strange tingling returned.

"You feel it do you not? That is the flow of magic between us. The reaction is uncommon to say the least. It means our magic is on the same frequency while most born with the power have their own made frequency." I nodded and moved my hand away. The tingling still remained.

"So what happens if our magic is on the same frequency?"

"We can to an extent feel each other's energy. Any amount of power depending on how used to it will be easy to feel. I can feel yours like a hot sun." I held my hands out and started to feel the tingling as I pointed them at Loki.

"Yours feels like cold lightning I guess. That's the best way to describe it." The chill that ran through me felt good, but hopefully he would keep his promise and not read that thought. I liked being close to him.

"Allow me to try something if I may." He held out his hand again for me to take. I reached out and grasped his hand carefully. He laced the fingers. The closer the touch, the stronger the tingling chill that ran up my arm. Loki squeezed my hand and a cold pulse ran through my body. It was stronger than before. I shivered slightly at the strange new contact.

"Fascinating, your energy reacts to my pulse. Perhaps this is a much more interesting wager than I anticipated." The second sentence was more for himself than for me.

"Come now, we must test the limits of this new connection." Once again I felt Loki press himself against me. This time I was face to face with him. This was going to be torture…sweet sweet torture.

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It was a Sunday and like all those times at the home I decided to go see Troy. I had finally gotten used to some of the bond I shared with Loki. When I paid attention it felt like I was constantly sharing my mind with someone. Sometimes I'd have thoughts that weren't my own or I'd act a little more mischievous than usual. Tony didn't seem to notice as much, in fact he embraced the change saying he was rubbing off on me. As for the constant contact with him during mind imaging, I was going crazy. I had a crush or infatuation with the dark haired god. Thank god he promised to stop reading my thoughts…at least to my knowledge. His body pressed against mine stole my reason. If he asked me anything at this point I'd get on my knees and beg him for the privledge. It was upsetting, but the feeling I got made it all worth it.

Either way it was an interesting notion, never being alone. I walked down the street and people's heads turned, whispering to one another. Once I had been ignored and now barely anyone missed my presence. When I entered the supermarket there were a few people who looked hopelessly excited as I moved past them. Troy was back in electronics again, alone.

"Yo Miss Stark how are things?" He chuckled as I approached his desk. I beamed.

"Perfect of course. I imagine your dad got that nice raise yeah?" Troy shook his head, smiling.

"It feels weird getting favors from you now Naia."

"Well, I have to pay you back somehow right?" Something in my head flared up, the emotion of anger and petty jealously. I tried to suppress it so as not to alarm Troy. I had noticed when I talked to men other than my father the anger was usually present. Sometimes it would literally make me start yelling at whoever I was talking to. I whispered my affiliation with the boy in my head and the anger subsided some.

"You okay Naia? You seem distracted." Troy asked with worry. He pressed his hand to my forehead and the anger flared again.

"No, I'm alright really." I squeaked and placed Troy's hand on the counter. He raised an eyebrow.

"If you say so. Hey why don't we go out sometime this week? My friends would love to meet the infamous Naiira Stark." More anger, it was starting to make my body heat up slightly which I was sure showed on my face.

"Sure Troy, that sounds great! I need more friends anyway." I slammed my arm down on the table so the tingling would distract my body from the rising anger. Troy raised his eyebrow and stared at the now twinging appendage.

"Are you sure you're okay Naia? You're really red in the face." I smiled as best as I could.

"I'm fine really." I suppressed some of the feelings with a small barrier. At least my face lightened a bit.

"Well, how about tomorrow then? I know a great club we could all go to." I smiled and nodded.

"Sounds great Troy, I should be getting back before Tony needs me." I waved goodbye and ducked into a bathroom on the other side of the store, letting my mind wander until another consciousness picked it up. I found myself in a rather dark place surrounded by shooting stars.

"You really should control yourself Loki, I almost yelled at him!" I scolded. The said god walked into view, his expression passive.

"Perhaps I would if your mind stopped wandering so much. I'm not fond of undressing men when I look at them." I blushed a million shades of red.

"I was NOT undressing him and didn't we agree on you not reading my mind?" I crossed my arms over my chest, but he just smirked.

"Tell that to your subconscious princess." He walked forward and flicked my forehead.

"Oh please, I can't help it if I find Troy attractive. I can't tell I'm undressing him so I'm sorry I guess and no more cheating." I meant with the reading mind thing. Loki appeared before me, pressing against me. This was normal at this point. He was in contact with me almost constantly after finding the link in our magic. I guess he liked the feeling as much as I did.

"You do it with any male you find the least bit handsome. Perhaps you should stop thinking about them so much and I might be able to control myself." I raised an eyebrow.

"You wouldn't be jealous now would you Loki? I realize we are bonded but that doesn't mean I belong to you." The scene around me seemed to spin.

"I beg to differ princess. Where I come from this bond means you are mine." Yes Loki was very possessive. I knew this pretty well, but I never really knew the extent.

"I can have friends here on earth Loki, there isn't only you." I hissed. Loki seethed.

"I'd be careful Naiira, I tend to get very possessive when it's something or someone I want." I blushed, unsure if he knew exactly what he was implying.

"Noted, now I have to go back. Same time tonight yes?" Loki huffed and nodded before my consciousness returned to my body. I left the supermarket with a rather heavy heart and a still seething Loki in my head.

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!

"Yo Tony I was wondering…" I walked in on my father replacing the core for his reactor.

"You know kid, I don't think I ever thanked you for not calling me dad. It would make me feel so disgustingly old." He turned the reactor back into his chest. I nodded.

"We don't want you feeling like an old fart now do we?" He chuckled. Tony was older than me being fourty to my nineteen. Besides the fact that he was a real ass sometimes, this guy was practically my best friend. The only thing we didn't agree on was music.

"So, what can I do you for? I imagine this isn't a useless visit? I mean you usually want something." I shook my head.

"Just need permission to exit the premises tonight. Troy Lions invited me out with a few friends to go clubbing." I muttered. He pretended to think about it.

"I don't know, that kid is pretty crazy about you. It might be a bad idea for your virginity." I knew it was a joke, but apparently Loki didn't.

"TONY!" I screamed, unable to hold back the rage that was boiling over from Loki's mind to mine. Tony looked a little worried.

"Calm down kid I was just joking. You okay?" I nodded and told Loki he'd pay for that later.

"Well then I'll be going!"

"Get into tons of mischief for me!" Tony yelled back. I walked down the hall and back into my room.

"Makeup and hair stuff Jarvis oh and that lovely little copper dress Pepper helped me find." The wardrobe turned and showed off a short little metallic copper dress. The neckline plunged to just below my navel with waves of fabric between the breasts. From experience I knew the dress reached just below my butt. I pulled it on and did some copper based makeup with black eyeliner. I put my hair up in a quick spiky updo and placed on a pair of flat copper gladiator sandals before leaving. To get this straight, I hated heels and would do anything to avoid them. I kept my phone and wallet in a little copper clutch with long string to go over my head. Troy was supposed to meet me right outside the building.

When I exited the penthouse I found Troy and three other people waiting on the curb. Two of them were boys, both with bright green eyes. The first had dark hair almost like Loki's. I felt a smirk from that thought. His hair was spiked, but it looked good that way and he wore dark jeans and black tank top. The second boy had light brown hair that reached just above his ears and a goatee. He was wearing khaki capris and a bright green t shirt. The only girl that was with them had light brown hair that waved down to her shoulders and dark brown eyes. She was wearing some bright red lipstick and a bright red dress to match. It dipped in the back and reached down to her knees with a slit up one side. I noticed with slight relief that she wore a pair of black and red flats.

"Naia!" Troy caught sight of me. He was wearing a light pair of denim jeans and a dark long sleeved button up top.

"You are going to die of heatstroke in this." I pulled on his sleeve and shook my head. When I looked up at him his face was flushed.

"You…look beautiful." He muttered. I blocked out Loki quite easily this time. I didn't know how, but the wall thing worked wonders when I tried.

"Thanks Troy. Who are your friends?" I asked curiously. He cleared his throat and pointed at the brunette male.

"That's Leo." Leo grinned and practically melted when I smiled in his direction.

"This is my buddy Victor." He patted the increasingly attractive dark haired boy on the shoulder. He took my hand and kissed the knuckles.

"It's a pleasure." I giggled and turned to the girl.

"This is my cousin Russy, well her real name is Nicole Ross." The girl smiled, shaking hands with me.

"Glad to meet another girl with enough sense to stay away from heels." She smiled back.

"Seriously." Troy offered his arm to me.

"Shall we then?" He asked curiously. Leo took Nicole's arm, but she didn't seem that attached to him. I took Troy's arm and allowed Victor to take my other.

"Already a Stark huh?" Troy chuckled.

"Of course, no Stark has only one date." I smiled and winked at Troy before we started walking down the street. The club was just around the corner. A large building with the bright shining title "Revelation" written in neon was before us. There was already a huge line forming out front. Troy frowned.

"Maybe we should have gotten here early." I shook my head.

"Come on I have this." I walked up to the huge black bouncer standing in front of the club. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Name's Stark, Naiira Stark. You mind letting us in?" His eyes widened slightly before pulling up the rope and allowing us all in.

"It pays to have connections sometimes." I smiled as we entered the den of music. There were black leather couches placed around the place and small tables with candles. The dance floor was black with different colored lights pouring and flashing on all the people dancing. A few bright silver cages hung from the ceilings with colorful dancers in each one. The place was packed with people in all amounts of fancy dress from suits to ripped up t shirts.

"This is awesome!" Troy yelled over the music. The current song was a wordless techno that made the lights on the floor flash violently.

"Come on let's dance!" I pulled Troy onto the dance floor and the others followed suit. We started dancing in between a few people who looked like they had been dancing for a while. You could literally smell the sweat off of people as the beat pumped around us. At first it was all of us together, but Leo found a sexy little blond to dance with which left Russy with Troy and me with Victor. Somehow the loud music mixed with the lights shut down all of my powers. My mind literally shut off as I danced, the music seemed to pump through my veins as I danced with Victor.

"You really are quite beautiful Naiira." He whispered. Suddenly the flashing made him look different. His body became Lokis, his hair looking slicked and those eyes becoming liquid emerald. I shook my head and he went back to looking like himself. Why was I thinking of Loki? It was quite obvious really, I had always been attracted to the dark haired god even if he was only in my head. He was gorgeous, the perfect being and it made sense that Victor suddenly took his form. This time when the lights flashed I let the visions stay. I came closer to him, suddenly very intent on feeling his skin against mine as the song changed. The heat rising from his body seared against mine as we moved together. It was selfish to imagine him as someone I could never have, but it was something.

His arms wrapped around my body, moving me with him as the song continued. My mind was getting hazy as I stared into those emerald eyes.

"Loki…" I whispered so that Victor wouldn't hear me. Yet somehow I knew that the owner had felt my lips form his name. A beautiful shiver ran down my spine as Victor rubbed his hands on my sides. He was Loki now, my Loki, the one I could never have. He bent his head down and crashed his lips onto mine. No matter how much I wished, I knew it wouldn't be the same. The one time I had kissed Loki it was better than this by so much. Victor seemed so sloppy compared to the god that I felt ruined. I pulled back, my breaths coming short as I looked up into the boy's confused face.

"I'm sorry." I moved out of his arms and the world seemed to crash down on me. The music was still blaring in my ears as I walked off the dance floor.

"Naia!" Someone screamed over the music. I ignored them, walking out of the club and away from the mind numbing atmosphere. A hand clasped my wrist and I turned to find Troy with a worried look on his face.

"You okay? I called your name at least a dozen times." His voice was hazy.

"I'm fine, I just needed some air is all." Somehow I knew my speech was slurred.

"Naia, you don't sound fine." He whispered. A white hot pain suddenly burst through my head and I clutched it as hard as I could, falling to my knees. Troy caught me, yelling something but my vision was already fading. My head still burst with pain of whose origin I was unsure. Then another yelling coming from inside my head before the world went black.


	5. Chapter 5: Lost

"I swear if you don't open your eyes I'll literally come to Midgard and kill you myself!" I tried to move, I really did but nothing happened. There was a cold hand that ran over my cheek and the usual tingle shot up my spine. My eyes shot wide open. I was in a world of stars, the most beautiful man leaning over me.

"L-Loki?" I croaked. There wasn't any pain in my head, but somehow I had anticipated that.

"You shouldn't do that. I thought you were being blocked from me. Your consciousness was in a blue orb and I couldn't get to you." His voice sounded a little frantic. I shook my head and tried to sit up but Loki pushed me back down.

"I hurt you, breaking that orb." It was a statement of fact that should have kept me in place, but I moved his hands and sat up anyway. I was a little dizzy but the feeling subsided.

"You were the cause of the pain?" I asked. He nodded carefully. I touched my forehead but there was no feeling other than the tingle of Loki's energy. Loki pushed a strand of my hair behind my ear, his cool fingers brushing my cheek.

"You tried to rescue me from myself." I smiled as the god nodded. His emerald eyes never left me for a second. I remembered how my mind had just stopped, how I suddenly lost all connection with Loki.

"I heard you say my name, I just thought…" He didn't finish his sentence, but I knew what he meant. How had I blocked him out so completely? I still had problems with imagining a wall to even block him out a little so what had happened? Why had my mind suddenly shut down?

"I was with friends in a club. The music and the lights just flashed and then my mind just stopped." I whispered as I threw the ideas around in my head. Could I be holding some special connection with the music that it shut me down? Had it been Victor? Thoughts of Loki? My head started to hurt from all the thinking.

"Oh so you were with that midgardian male." Loki huffed as he took a seat in front of me. I shook my head and leaned forward so I was in his face. He seemed unfazed. How I wished I could make him blush, make his face contort in some emotion in favor of me.

"And if I was?" He stood and walked away from me a few steps.

"I'm returning you to your body, I have to think." I nodded.

"Until tomorrow night then?" I asked. Surprisingly he shook his head.

"No, you see I have things to worry about here on Asgard that I'd prefer you stay out of." He muttered. I almost felt offended, but not to the point of telling him about it.

"I will call on you when I wish to see you again." Just like that he was gone and I woke up lying in a rather large bed which I then realized was my own. There was no extra thoughts in my mind, nothing out of place. Loki had blocked me out and to tell you the truth it felt rather hollow.

"Oh goodness you're alright!" Pepper walked in with a glass of water. I shook my head.

"What happened after I passed out?" I asked.

"That boy Troy brought you home. He was quite worried about you." She smiled, handing me the glass of water. I took a grateful swig of the cold liquid.

"I blacked out Pepper. My brain just exploded with pain." I knew what had happened, but I wasn't willing to tell her.

"It doesn't have anything to do with someone named Loki does it?" I froze.

"How did you…?"

"You've said his name in your sleep a few times." I hated lying to her, but I couldn't break my promise to Loki.

"Loki is a mythological god from norse stories. He's my favorite to read about, I guess it just leaked into my dreams." I knew she didn't buy that, but at least she didn't push the matter. She promised to keep Tony out until he calmed down and left me to my thoughts. If only she knew my thoughts were filled with the so called mythological god, Loki.

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It had been a whole week but it felt like an eternity. My mind was vacant or at least it felt that way. No more did I feel the presence of Loki in my head and I assumed he had just blocked me out forever. I was feeling withdrawl from the strange tingling he caused when he touched me. He was really quite temperamental for a god. It might have been a good thing though since it was becoming obvious to me that Tony was sick. He never said anything about it, but I caught him checking his blood more than once when walking into the lab.

"It's the palladium." It wasn't a question. He didn't answer as he put on the suit. The Stark Expo started tonight and Tony insisted on making a big entrance.

"In my defense I didn't know the one element keeping me alive was actually slowly killing me." So he wouldn't deny it. He turned, the gold and red metal suit shining as the headpiece fell down over his face.

"You aren't allowed to die Tony, I'm not going to let you." He stepped out onto the balcony without looking back.

"Wish it were that easy kid." With that he was gone. I knew he hadn't told anyone and for his sake I would keep my mouth shut even though I desperately wanted to scream at someone to fix it. He was also avoiding me probably because I knew, another wonderful fact.

"Jarvis I'm going to need the palladium research notes and while we are at it, I may need Howard Stark's notes on the ark reactor." I asked. There was a seconds pause.

"I'm sorry Miss Stark but the notes of the ark reactor are vacant. Would you like me to look deeper?" Jarvis asked over the speakers.

"No, I have a feeling you won't find it, just pull up the suit schematics I've got some things to work on." I was supposed to go with Pepper to the Expo, but I had insisted on waiting for Tony. Now I was sure I wasn't going anywhere. There was silence again and it was more deafening than any other sound.

"Jarvis, AC/DC please, I can't concentrate in this silence." I spoke. Back in Black started playing in the background. I pulled out the screen and looked closely at the new schematic for the arc reactor. It was perfect all except for the core and the final blueprints. A new one would have to be created, but the design would be alright. There was tweaking to be done as usual, but maybe this could save his life. I found myself tearing up.

"Are you alright Miss Stark?" Jarvis asked, his voice booming through the room. I wiped my eyes.

"I'm worried Jarvis. I'm worried for my father, for my best friend, I'm even worried about myself for the first time in years." I whispered.

"I don't know how exactly you view the world, but perhaps everything happens for a reason." I smiled a little, the tears still falling down my face.

"Maybe I could find you a body Jarvis, then you can cheer me up all the time." I grinned, allowing myself to go through Tony's extensive research on the Ironman suit.

"If you wish Miss Stark." I wondered if I could enter emotions into Jarvis's wires? Just then the phone rang. I put on my Bluetooth headset and pressed send.

"Where are you Naia? I thought we were going to mingle?" It was Troy. I smiled into the phone. Maybe things weren't going so bad.

"I'm coming, had to finish up some stuff in the lab."

"You missed your dad's big show. Fireworks, the suit, and a sarcastic speech as usual." I rolled my eyes.

"Of course, that's just Tony." I got up from my chair straightening out my dress. Pepper had bought it for me, a beautiful long black sparkling fabric with a slit up the right side all the way up to my hip. It was also strapless and I had let Pepper get me a pair of black platforms with low heels.

"So how long until you get here?" Troy asked. He sounded nervous.

"I'm not ditching you honey, I swear. I'll be there in less than half an hour okay?" I pulled up my black garter, the one that held a little handy knife just in case I needed it.

"Have a good time on your date Miss Stark." Jarvis said. I grinned and put on my black shawl before exiting the lab to go on my first ever date. Somehow I couldn't be unhappy at that moment and that was something I was over the moon about. Yet I still thought of Loki, there was no one in my world like him.

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The date went well. Troy and I moved about the expo together laughing and checking out the various pieces. I was especially interested in a new metal alloy under development. It was in baby stages, but perhaps if I bought the research…

Troy insisted on driving me home in his dads brand new car, a bright silver Mercedes CLA with green underlights. I was picking through the notes given from the metal alloy research. Troy didn't say anything on the drive. I didn't even notice when he stopped the car until he tapped my shoulder. I jumped at the contact.

"You really get into that stuff don't you?" He nodded towards the paper still in my hands. I nodded, folding the paper and placing it in my bag.

"Yeah, sorry about that. The metal alloy could be used for Tony's suit, with the right mind anyway." Troy's eyes softened.

"I'm sure there is no better mind for the job than yours." I blushed, was he flirting with me? He leaned over in the leather seat to get out. I made to open my own door, but he caught my wrist.

"I'll get it." So I sat still until he rounded the car and opened the door for me. He even helped me out onto the sidewalk. I hadn't ever had someone treat me this nice before. Troy walked me up to the door of my house. It looked like Tony and Pepper weren't home yet.

"I had a lot of fun Troy, thank you." I smiled. Troy moved forward and wrapped his arm around my waist.

"So did I." Without warning Troy's lips encased mine. It still didn't feel right, there was no chilling tingle when he touched me. I was ruined for men. So instead of pushing him away I pulled him forward. If I wanted to be happy, I'd need to get used to unperfect men. Troy was always kind to me, always there for me. There was no better choice than him. As we kissed I could feel the tears pouring down my face. No anger flared, no worry, no emotions that weren't my own. I was lost without the mind that wasn't my own. Troy broke away with a worried face.

"Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?" I shook my head and chuckled.

"No, I'm sorry I just get emotional when anyone shows me affection. Sad isn't it?" He smiled.

"No, I can understand it." I was way too good at lying. So when he asked his question there was only one answer I could give him.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Yes."

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"Do you or do you not possess a specialized weapon?" Senator Stern, a rather pompous asshole, had called Tony to speak before a court about the suit. I had dressed up for the occasion wearing a black dress with low front and sheer sleeves. Pepper was sitting next to me, rolling her eyes.

"No I do not."

"You do not?"

"No I do not. Well it depends on how you define the word weapon." Here we go.

"The Ironman weapon." The senator said in a rather nonchalant tone. Troy fidgeted in his seat.

"My device does not fit that description."

"How would you describe it?" Before the senator even finished Tony broke in.

"I would describe it by defining it by what it is senator." Oh god, he wasn't seriously going to embarrass himself right? Pepper was grinding her teeth slightly in nervous anticipation. Troy rested his hand on mine, seeing how upset I was.

"As?"

"It's a um…it's a high tech prosthesis." I facepalmed, literally and in my head. Tony turned back to smile at me and Pepper. My fellow red head gave him a rather frustrated look while I tried to keep my face blank. The rest of the crowd laughed slightly.

"That…That is the most apt description I can make." Tony was making hand motions on the desk. I squeezed Troy's hand a little.

"It's a weapon, it's a weapon Mr. Stark and if you…" The senator was cut off by Tony again.

"If your priority was actually the well being…"

"My priority is to turn over the ironman weapon to the people of the United States of America." I really wanted to punch him. Why would America need more war machines anyway?

"Well you can forget it, I am ironman. The suit and I are one to turn over the iron man suit would mean turning over myself which could amount to indencered servitude or prostitution depending on which state we're in. Can't have it." Yes another joke. Pepper was starting to fidget around uncomfortably. Our little group was the only one not laughing.

"L-Look I'm no expert…"

"In prostitution of course not you're a senator come on!" Everybody started laughing again. Pepper shook her head when Tony turned back to look at her. Troy looked like he was trying not to laugh. Tony motioned for me to come up with him.

"I'm no expert in weapons, but we have someone here who is an expert on weapons. We call on Justin Hammer, our current primary weapons contractor." The senator watched as I took a seat next to Tony. The cameras around me flashed as I sat down.

"You know they aren't giving up Tony, you might want to add at least a little prick of fact besides just jokes." I hissed. He grinned.

"Hammer's too easy." Justin Hammer was a tall man with light skin, dark thick glasses, slicked back blond hair and rather unusual pursed lips. He was wearing a gray suit which made him look even more boring in person.

"May the record reflect that I observe Mr. Hammer entering the chamber and I am wonder when any actual expert will be in attendance." Hammer sat down on the opposite side of Tony. He didn't look very offended, but picked up a glass of water and raised it in Starks direction. He pulled the microphone forward and let out a chuckle.

"Absolutely, I'm no expert, I defer to you Anthony and perhaps even your daughter some day." I wanted to puke, the guy was flirting and it wasn't sexy at all.

"Senator, if I may, I would not be an expert, but I'll tell you who was… your dad! Howard Stark, really a father to us all and to the military and industrial age. Let's just be clear he was no flower child, he was a lion. We all know why we're here for the last six months Anthony Stark has created a sort with untold possibilities and yet he insists it's a shield. He asks us to trust him as we cower behind it." This guy was full of bull shit. I stopped listening and grabbed Tony's phone from his pocket. He looked at me and I smiled, pulling up a hacking grid. His frown faded into a mischevious grin. I waited for a few minutes while the idiot finished his speech. I started pulling up files from the home computer when they called James Rhodes in or Rhody as Tony liked to call him.

I stopped what I was doing to look around. I hadn't ever met the man, but had been told a thing or two. A tall black man entered in a navy suit. He had heavy set eyes and a rather serious demeanor. Tony got up to shake hands with him and Rhodes sat next to me.

"It's a pleasure Miss Stark to finally meet you." He shook my hand. His handshake was stiff.

"Likewise." I muttered. I wasn't really sure what to think. Colonel Rhodes was here to read from his report on Ironman, another piece that I had read before. It was an extremely comprehensive piece of the pros and cons of ironman. The pros outweighed the cons, but of course the senator insisted he read a piece that insisted on the danger of Tony Stark alone owning the iron man. When trying to defend the notion, the senator waved away the extra explanation easily.

"I would like to now differ to some of the imagery from your report…

"It's a little premature don't you think? To reveal the nature of these…" Rhodes wasn't happy about the whole thing, this much I could tell and it made me happy to have such a man on our side. The senator was insisting of course and the computer was turned on to show what looked like functional suits similar to Tony's. I handed him the phone and he hacked right into the screens. He handed the phone back to me and I hacked in a code that showed the videos of the so called functional suits. They failed horribly and just for fun I added the Hammer video Tony had showed me earlier. Rhodes was trying hard not to laugh.

"Well then I guess some countries 5, maybe ten years away, Hammer industries 20."

"I want to point out that the test pilot did survive…" I giggled, he did just with severe injuries.

"You want my private property, you can't have it! But I did you a favor, I privatized world peace." Tony stood and gave up the peace sign. Everyone cheered. I felt it then, the tug on my lips that wasn't my own. I followed Tony out, almost feeling invaded with the new emotions in my head.

"You okay Naia?" Pepper was at my side, Troy at the other.

"Yeah, I'm just tired." I felt the call, but resisted it at least for now.

"Wait until I'm alone." I whispered in my head. There was a smile and then contentment as we left the senate. It would be a long drive home, I could sleep.

"Do you want to take the plane back?" Pepper asked. I nodded, not really sure if I wanted to be with my father right now.

"You sure, I brought the new car." Tony stepped back towards a beautiful looking silver Ferrari. Maybe I could get a longer talk on the drive. I shook my head, Pepper was the safest choice.

"I'm gonna take the plane, with your driving I won't be able to sleep." Pepper smiled. Troy wrapped his arm around me and I felt something in my head twist angrily.

"Come on then Naia, let's get you some sleep." We took a government issue black sudan to the airport and on the ride there I fell asleep, relinquishing to the call. I was met by two cool, strong arms wrapping around me in an embrace.

"Loki…" I felt like I hadn't said the name in ages. Feeling it come from my lips was almost a relief.

"I apologize for not contacting you sooner." He whispered.

"It's alright, I missed having you in my head." Loki grinned, his bright green eyes twinkling in happiness.

"I missed you as well my little midgardian. It was lonely not speaking to you." He actually rubbed my upper arms with his thumbs. The contact caused those pleasant tingles to run up and down my body.

"What is it you had to think about? You didn't tell me." He smiled.

"The barrier from before, I was researching it. There was also the matter of my family wishing me to take a lover." I felt a pang of jealously. Yet hadn't I done the same? I felt guilty now for dating Troy.

"Did you?" I asked. Loki blinked and pulled me closer to his chest.

"No, there may be beautiful women on Asgard, but none that capture my attention." I nodded, taking myself from his arms.

"Thor has also been asked to take a bride though I imagine he would have anyone." I giggled.

"I never asked about your brother, but perhaps you could tell me about him? When I read mythology I remember him as the guardian of thunder and lightning yes?" Loki frowned.

"What is this sudden interest in my brother?" I smiled.

"I want to know everything about you. I'm sorry if that offends you." He shivered a little and stood beside me. I finally took notice of the surroundings, the sky was alight with colors, the aurora borealis was what it looked like. We were standing on a huge block of ice, but it wasn't cold here.

"It does not. Perhaps it would be best if you knew about him." I sat down and Loki took a seat close to me, his leg pressing against mine to keep the tingling sensation. I had forgotten how handsome he was, how calm he acted. I thought back for a moment.

"Wait, did you find out anything about the barrier?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Nothing, it is unprecedented, but then again so is an Asgardian like me." He sounded upset for a moment. I placed a hand on his upper thigh. He froze.

"Are you alright?" I asked curiously. He sensitively placed his hand over my own, his skin cool against mine.

"Yes." He said no more, but grasped my hand so I knew not to pull back.

"Is it about your brother?" I shouldn't have pushed it, but I had said it now. Loki tensed again.

"He is to be crowned the next all king of the nine realms." His jaw locked slightly as spoke.

"Well I didn't vote for him." The sentence hung in the air, not helping like I thought it would.

"You don't understand, he is arrogant, foolish! I may not wish for the position but he does not deserve the title if he can't fulfill father's rules." He hissed. I squeezed his hand in reassurance for him to continue.

"He is crowned tomorrow and what will he bring upon us if not war and destruction? Father insists, but he is not ready!" I couldn't help but smile, pressing myself closer to him.

"You care deeply for your brother don't you?" I think I hit a nerve, but he didn't say so. His fingers entwined with mine.

"How do you withstand my skin? Even my mother says I am cold." He changed the subject. I stroked my thumb across his face, sending brilliant electric tingles down my arm. He closed his eyes at the touch.

"You are warm to me." I told the truth. When I touched him I felt warm, the cool skin of him lowered the heat that rose from me, a heat I imagined came from the energy flowing through me.

"I'm sure that despite his favor of Thor to be king, your father loves you. Even with the so called cold of your skin, your mother still touches you doesn't she?" He reached up and pressed my hand flat against his cheek. For a moment it looked like steam rose from the spot.

"Yes, but none of them make me feel so warm." He opened his eyes, the bright emeralds glittering in their own light. I retracted my hand, not really sure of myself. Loki looked disappointed, but said nothing.

"I should go, it will be morning soon and I need to make sure my father doesn't do anything stupid." I stood, but Loki kept hold of one of my hands.

"You do not know your birth parents right?" He asked. I shook my head.

"Yet you still care for those that have taken you in?" I smiled and nodded.

"They saved me from a horrible life and though I have been in pain for many years Tony brought me peace. He allowed me to explore my profession of interest and he nurtures me like a real father would. I love him as my father even if not by blood." I explained. He nodded and smiled.

"While I understand, I am glad I am not like you." I giggled.

"Understandable." He came forward and pulled me into a hug. I hugged back.

"Because of the coronation I will need more sleep and while I enjoy seeing you, I must again wait sometime." He pushed a strand of hair out of my face and cupped my face. I was sure I felt steam rise that time.

"Just try not to wait too long this time, I worry too much." He chuckled.

"Of course." He whispered. Before I realized what was happening, his lips were on mine. A jolt of pleasant tingles rose up my spine. He pulled back rather quickly which disappointed me, but I still felt dizzy even from that lightest touch.

"Stay safe princess." He kissed right next to my ear before everything went black.

"Ah come on!" I woke up in bed, my face tomato red. Why couldn't he have at least told me what that was about. Now I was going to be pondering it up until I could talk to him again. I found my thoughts lost in the god of mischief.


	6. Chapter 6: Without You

"Hello? Earth to Naia!" I was thinking about that kiss again. My mind was wandering a lot lately and somehow no one but Pepper noticed. I had stopped seeing Troy, which was a little awkward, but we at least agreed to be friends. I had told him there was someone else and I figured there was if Loki actually liked me that way. That's where my mind had been going, to thoughts of our last meeting. It had only been a day or two, but the feeling of bliss was still there.

"Huh?" I looked up at my fellow red head. She was scrunching up her nose in discomfort. She pointed up to the TV. There was Tony in a drivers suit standing next to his race car. Wait a minute, only drivers wore the suit…oh crap. He got in and poor Pepper was freaking out.

"Natalie could you go get Happy please?" Natalie was another red head hired on after Tony signed over his company to Pepper. She had long hair the same color as mine that curled and a body that could kill. I didn't like her, mostly because Tony kept his eyes on her and not the obvious choice for him, Pepper. Natalie nodded and walked off to find Happy. I watched the screen as the car went out onto the track. I pulled out my phone and started texting Rhody.

"He's at it again." I texted before putting the phone back in my pocket and leaving for the stands. Tony had reserved seats in the front, probably for this reason. Yet I got blocked.

"Well we meet again Naia, what a pleasure it is." Hammer was standing in front of me, grinning like an idiot.

"It's Miss Stark, please." I ground out, trying to get around him.

"What do you think of all this Naia? Anthony really is sticking his neck out isn't he?" I was getting impatient. Hammer tried to slink his arm over my shoulders. That was it. I braced his arm and flipped him onto the nearest table. Everyone around us gasped audibly.

"You don't ever touch a lady without permission and it's still Miss Stark to you." I released his arm and walked out, leaving an immobile CEO behind me.

I wasn't sure what I was doing, but suddenly the air became heavy. People around me were giving me a wide berth. I made my way to the track where I heard screaming coming from the crowd. The stands were emptying like crazy. I made my way around and jumped the fence on the other side of the stands. That's when I saw him. A man, dirty and tan with black and gray hair that reached his shoulders was standing in the middle of the road. Broken pieces of racecars were around him. His upper half was covered by metal wiring that lead to two long electric charged whips. Another car whipped around the corner.

"Tony!" I screamed. The man smashed his whip through the side of the car, cutting it in half. One half flipped while the other skidded into the wall. I raced across the track to the wreckage. Tony was flipped upside down in the car. With some sort of force I ripped the door off and pulled him out.

"You okay?" I asked curiously. Tony shook his head, blinking as he tried to reach his equilibrium.

"I'm good, just…wow." He kept trying to stand. I turned to the man with electric whips. He was smiling. The air around me became heavy again, the pressure suddenly pressing down on me. I was starting to spark and flame on certain parts of my body. The man's face was beginning to drop. I looked down at my hands and saw the bright blue blossoming over my skin (think Kida when she merges with the crystal in Atlantis).

"You leave my father alone!" I screamed, a voice that sounded ethereal, beautiful and distinct. I raised my hand and a burst of white hot blue energy blasted at the man. He staggered back as the beam blew him against the fence. I felt everything seeming to melt off my body as my whole body became the shining metallic blue from before. I was beginning to burn the man's skin, I could smell it.

"Naia!" I heard someone shout. I released him and turned where Tony stood with Pepper and Happy next to a large black car. The new man had steam rising from his skin, a large slash of burned skin dotting his chest. The smell of burnt flesh was prominent.

"That's Naia?!" Happy spoke. I looked down at my hands. From the oil on the ground I could see my reflection. I was naked, but covered in a bright metallic blue that shimmered. Even my eyes were the same color, my hair flying around me. I didn't think, instead I ran. Yet the form I was in flew, moving above the stadium and disappearing into the clouds. I really was a freak and the whole world had seen it!

I tried to concentrate, to grasp onto something that made me whole. I started falling, my skin turning back to its normal color. I angled my body, looking for a safe place to land. I couldn't see through the wind. I fell, naked and vulnerable downward to my death. Something hard hit my side and I found myself moving forward again. Through the tears I found myself held by Ironman, the red and yellow metallic suit slightly beaten up.

"I'm sorry Tony." I whispered, not really caring that I was naked right now.

"It's okay Naia." I whimpered as he flew off with me held close. We didn't speak for the rest of the flight and I was almost afraid to open my mouth.

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It was all over the news, the oddity of Anthony Stark's adopted daughter. Had she transformed or was it another elaborate suit created by Tony? I hid in my room as soon as we got home. I didn't even let Pepper in which was something in itself. The man who had attacked Tony on the track was named Ivan Vanko, a Russian from Siberia of all places. Tony was quiet and secluded after the attack and after my strange transformation. I didn't want to talk about it so the silence was fine with me. I looked down at my hands and wondered if I was human. At least with my powers alone I had felt a little normal. Now with this new information that whole idea was blown out the window. A sharp click and my door opened. People really didn't knock anymore.

"You need to come with me Miss Stark." I was surprised to find Natalie, the pretty red head Tony had just hired.

"Who says?" I asked, poking my head out of the fluffy comforter. I had burrowed into my covers, making myself into a huge lump under the red sheets.

"I'm afraid I have to insist Miss Stark." A large black man stepped out from behind Natalie. He wore a long trench coat and leather boots, all black with a black eye patch. His head was bald and he was really tall. The air about him was thick with testosterone. In most cases he would be intimidating, but I ignored that fact.

"And who exactly are you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. The man flipped the light switch so light illuminated the room. It took me a few moments to adjust to it. Natalie was dressed in a tight leather body suit with a belt that had a red hourglass on it. Her wrists were surrounded by wrist bands that had bullets holstered around them.

"Figures you weren't really a secretary." I mumbled as she moved towards me.

"Names Nick Fury and I run S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Never heard of you." I pulled the comforter over my head again.

"I bet you are wondering what happened to you today right?" I looked at Natalie carefully.

"You can't seriously think you know what's going on can you?" Natalie smiled.

"On the contrary Miss Stark, we know more than you think." Fury extended his hand which held a tablet. I looked at it and then back to him before grabbing it and opening up the only file on it. Images of a large blue cube and the lab surrounding it appeared as well as a lot of data.

"The tesseract?" I asked, reading over the energy readings of the small cube.

"We believe your body is somehow resonating with the energy of the tesseract. That's why you were able to become what you did today." The blue of the cube was hauntingly like that of my skin as it reverted to blue. The smoking flame around it resembled the edges of my body when I transformed.

"How do you know this?" I asked, picking up the image of the cube and moving it around.

"The tesseract spiked when you transformed as if reacting to you. It's light dimmed." Natalie explained. I looked from her to Fury and back.

"Say I come with you, what exactly are you going to do?" I asked. Fury laughed.

"We won't hurt you if that's what you mean. We simply want to see how the tesseract reacts if you get close to it." I wasn't convinced, but the idea was intriguing. Maybe my other various powers came from a connection with this cube. I smiled.

"Alright, but I have conditions." Fury nodded for me to continue.

"First, you have to be straight with me, no lies and trust me I'll know." I glanced at Natalie who sighed.

"My real name is Natasha Romanov." She introduced. I shook her hand loosely before turning back to Fury.

"Second, unless I authorize it there is no testing to be done on me, not even a health exam." Fury nodded again.

"And Last I still get to sleep here." I pointed down at the bed I was on, but I knew they understood. I wasn't a lab rat and I would sleep at home.

"You have a deal." Fury held out his hand which I took. As if on cue Tony ran in. Natalie, now known as Natasha was gone in seconds. Seems she didn't want her identity revealed just yet. He was wearing a pair of sweat pants and a long sleeved gray shirt. I could see the arc reactor shining through his clothes.

"No." He gasped. It looked like he was trying to catch his breath.

"No?" I asked. He walked in and sat on the bed with me, blocking Fury from me.

"You aren't allowed to take her." I felt suddenly overwhelmed by surprise. Didn't he think I was a freak by now?

"But Tony…"

"She's my responsibility Fury and I do believe I can take care of her myself." I found myself smiling and I tackled Tony's back. He still cared!

"I freaking love you dad!" I squealed. Tony grumbled at the use of 'dad' but ignored it for the most part.

"You can't have her unless I go too." So he knew what Fury wanted, probably met him before too. Figures he'd keep things from me, but hey he was standing up for me!

"Have it your way Stark, but we haven't finished evaluating you just yet." Fury made the sign for he was watching him when he walked out.

"You do care Tony! I figured that weird transformation would make you think I'm a freak." He touched his chest with an incredulous look.

"Really Naia? Me? The one who has a permanent battery in my chest?" I giggled.

"If only there were more caretakers like you."

"You mean people with permanent batteries?" I laughed and Tony smiled.

"No, sarcastic assholes who make me feel better." I tapped the reactor and he chuckled. I laid back and Tony stood up.

"Well now that you are reassured I hope you will join Pepper and I for dinner." I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be there." I agreed, grinning like an idiot. If only I had seen the veins crawling up Tony's neck or even the forlorn and troubled expression he had when he left. Then maybe somethings would have been done a bit different.

I found myself studying the tesseract and my connection with it. Fury had given me a live feed camera to the tesseract room so I could watch what happened when I used my powers. Sure enough there was a spike then sufficient drop when I used blasts or heating of energy. Yet no matter how hard I tried I couldn't transform like I had earlier. When I got called down for dinner I was in a thoughtful mood. We were supposed to have sushi tonight with warm rice (Tony promised). Pepper was already sitting down reading over some papers.

"Hey Pepper, I'm sorry I didn't open the door." She looked up and smiled, patting the seat next to her. I took the spot and looked over the paperwork in front of her.

"This CEO business is the real deal huh?" She ran her hands through her hair and tried to keep a smile on her face.

"Honestly? It's killing me and I'm still not sure why I was given the title." I patted her back sympathetically before helping myself to some shrimp and crab sushi before pulling some of the papers over to me.

"Oh no honey you don't need to do that!" Pepper tried to pull the papers back but I kept a firm grip on them.

"Yes I do. I have little else to do so at least let me help out." I took the top page off and started reading over it. Most of the papers were about inventors wanting investments. They were all denied of course, stupid ideas about useless objects.

"Does it bother you?" Pepper suddenly asked.

"What?"

"Tony being so strange lately, do you think there's something wrong?" She asked, exasperated as she placed another paper on the done pile.

"You really care about him don't you?" Pepper froze.

"What makes you think that?" Her face was turned, but I could see the tinge of red on her cheeks.

"The blush is a good indication." I giggled when she swung around with a rather frustrated look on her face.

"Calm down, I won't tell him." I riffled through the papers on the desk.

"Do you still like Troy?" She asked. This time I froze.

"No, there's someone else." I cursed myself for that. I could have just said no! Pepper had an interesting way of pulling things out of me without trying. She just nodded though.

"Are you going to tell him?" I asked, trying to change the subject away from me. Pepper sighed.

"How can I? He's reckless, stupid, stubborn, and just so…so…"

"Dreamy?" I giggled when Pepper cleared her throat.

"Not the word I would use, but I guess." I grinned.

"You'd be good for him you know. I haven't been around long and I still think it's a good idea." She shook her head.

"Come on Pepper, you'd be his rock, the one solid thing in his life." She continued to ignore me so I moved some of the papers to stare her straight in the face.

"If you don't he could spiral and I worry Pep. I love Tony too and what he's doing isn't healthy. Maybe you're what he needs." I whispered. Pepper sighed.

"I don't know if I could handle it." She whispered. Tony still hadn't shown up for dinner.

"What would you do if he died?" I asked. She stopped shuffling papers.

"I don't know." The room was quiet for a few moments.

"I'm gonna go find Tony." I left Pepper to her work and her thoughts.

"Tell him to hurry, we worry about him." I turned back and nodded before leaving the room and walking down into Tony's private lab. The glass showed the inner workings of the lab. Tony was shirtless at his desk, his back to me as he fiddled with something in front of him. I tried to gain entrance, but my usual code didn't work.

"I'm sorry Miss Naia, I have been forbidden to allow you into the lab." Jarvis's voice came over the intercom. I growled, taking out my portable tool kit (part of being a Stark) and took apart the key pad on the door until it slid open.

"I should know better than to have even tried." Tony chuckled.

"I'm sorry sir, she overrode the protocol." Jarvis muttered.

"It's alright Jarvis, if anyone knows it might as well be her." Tony turned around in his seat and I gasped audibly. The reactor in his chest was still glowing as bright as ever, but coming from that spot were long and bent lines of purple pressed against the skin. The lines seemed to be expanding with every heartbeat. The lines all connected around the center of Tony's chest.

"I knew you were hiding something, but nothing like this." I whispered. One of the bots put a glass of nasty looking thick green liquid onto the desk. Tony took a few swigs and winced in disgust.

"Does that help?" I asked. He swallowed and shook his head.

"Not enough." I watched him slowly move back to the piece sitting before him. It was a rusted and melted piece of metal which I recognized as the core of his reactor. I moved to his side and looked down at it.

"They can't withstand the strain." It was a statement of fact, not a question.

"No, they can't." It had already been a while since the last expo and it seemed he was deteriorating faster.

"How long?" There was a pause as if he didn't want to answer.

"How long Tony?" I pressed further.

"Maybe three months." I held back a sob. So this was why he had been acting so strange. He had given the company to Pepper because he knew he was dying. He sighed.

"You can't tell Pepper." He whispered.

"Why not? She cares about you too Tony, we all do! Why would keep this from us?!"

"Because I knew how you would react!" He turned and faced me. I was crying now, the tears spilling over onto my cheeks. Tony ran a hand through his hair.

"Listen kid, I've gotten rather attached to being alive so I'm not giving up okay? Just don't cry." I walked into his arms, listening to the frantic heartbeat that meant he was still alive, still with me. Tony wrapped his arms around me.

"I'm not letting you die, not ever." I whimpered. Tony chuckled.

"I'm holding you to that Naia. If I'm not immortal then I'm counting a failure." I smiled, only Tony could be this snarky when he was dying.

"Sir, Pepper is requesting your presence upstairs." Jarvis informed us.

"I'll be up in a minute." He muttered. Tony turned to me as he put his shirt back on.

"Not a word of my condition to Pepper got it?" I wanted to argue, but for once I decided to give in. I didn't like it, but I nodded. I really didn't like lying, especially to Pepper.


	7. Chapter 7: And They Lose It

It was Tony's birthday. I had dressed for the occasion, but somehow I knew this wouldn't end well. Tony had asked me to help him pick out a suit even though I knew he wasn't going to wear it. Somehow I knew he was falling further as the hours ticked by. I could almost see the purple lines poking out from his neckline as Natasha straightened his bowtie. Pepper was highly upset and highly busy due to her CEO position. She had promised to be there later, but I wasn't so sure. It had been hard keeping a secret from her and I hated every second of it.

"You look beautiful you know." Tony pointed out. I was wearing a strapless black silk dress with beautiful white embroidery and beads in the forms of flowers and vines. There was a slit up the left leg that almost reached my hip. There was a dip in the front and rhinestones connecting the back. A collar of black velvet enclosed my neck, keeping the dress in place.

"Thanks Dad." He flinched.

"Making sure I wasn't hitting on you huh?" He asked. I smiled and nodded, watching as Natasha finished his bow tie.

"You can take over from here." Natasha walked out, her simple black dress hanging loosely off her shoulders. She looked beautiful as well, I just hoped Tony didn't notice too much anyway.

I stood and nodded in Tasha's direction before turning back to Tony.

"You aren't thinking of doing anything too stupid are you?" I asked curiously. He shook his head stiffly.

"Don't get hurt okay?" I sighed. Tony took my hand.

"I'll try my best princess." The name struck a nerve. I hadn't seen or heard from Loki in some time now. He was still blocking the channel and I wasn't quite sure what to think of it. I shook my head, focusing on my father's face.

"You go on ahead, I'll be down in a few minutes." I nodded and left him to his thoughts. When I descended the stairs to the main floor there were already a good amount of people piling in. All of them were high rollers, men in suits and ties and women in all sorts of colorful skimpy dresses. I didn't see Pepper yet, but I really hadn't expected to. The night was still young after all.

I made my way over to the bar and ordered a simple black cherry soda. It came in a bottle that made it look like beer with clear etched label. I moved through the people and found a seat at one of the tables pushed against the wall. I hadn't even started with my drink when I heard my name being called over the crowd. Troy was moving towards me with two familiar faces in tow. He was wearing a dark gray suit that went well with his sandy blond hair.

"Hey, you look amazing." His eyes glittered as he walked up to me.

"Troy…"

"I know, I just wanted to say so." I smiled and he took my hand, leading me towards the familiar people. Victor was wearing a pair of black slacks and a long sleeved black top. Leo wasn't there, but Russy was. She was wearing a silver shining dress that had a v neck and layered skirt. It was pulled up slightly over her right knee.

"Hey! It's been a while!" I gave Russy a hug first before moving onto Victor.

"I'm sorry about before…" Victor shook his head. We hadn't actually talked since that day in the club, even after I started dating Troy.

"It's alright, you were caught up in the moment." I smiled and hugged him carefully before pulling back.

"You never gave us a chance to stay friends chica. I still need your number." Russy held up her phone. I chuckled and took it, typing in my number.

"Sweetness." She grinned. Her brown hair waved beautifully down her back. The music started up and people began dancing around us. Tony moved into the group, his suit still on. Oh how the night was young.

For a few hours I spent most of my time with Troy and his friends. Russy and I started talking about all sorts of things. It turns out she liked electronics, just the programming part. It was about eleven when Troy got my attention. He pointed across the room to a tottering Tony in full Ironman suit.

"Oh no." I gave my drink to Troy before moving through the crowd to my surrogate father.

"What are you doing?" I asked him, approaching just as he was about walk up on the makeshift stage in the corner of the dance floor.

"Whatever I want, I'm dying right?" He had given up and now he was going crazy, wonderful. I tried to use my energy to hold him back but I couldn't seem to muster enough to keep him still.

"You aren't going to die Tony, we will figure this out." I waved at a few people going by as they looked up strangely at us. This was so embarrassing and really rather upsetting.

"Well, I beg to differ princess and you know what, you're harshing my mellow." I flinched again. We would have a talk later about calling me princess.

"You are drunk."

"And you are gorgeous, but neither of us can do anything about it." I pushed Tony back and tried to find Pepper in the crowd. I hadn't seen her come in yet, but perhaps she had slipped by me. Tony moved up onto the stage and took the microphone. I scanned the crowd and finally found the face I was looking for.

"Troy!" I yelled over the music. He turned to face me.

"Find Pepper!" He nodded and ducked into the crowd. I watched Tony make an idiot of himself on the stage. A lot of women were grinding against the suit and the booze kept flowing. It already felt like a year when Pepper walked down the stairs. Tony was making a drunken ass of himself. I looked up at the clock, the party had been going for about four hours. It took Tony about three of those to get drunk and the last to change into the suit and ruin everything. Troy was hot on Pepper's heels, Natasha following close behind. Happy was bringing up the rear, trying to keep up with the very angry women.

"A lot of people ask me how I use the bathroom in the suit." There was silence for a little while.

"Just like that." Everybody clapped and laughed.

"What the hell is he doing?!" Pepper moved through the crowd up to the stage and started whispering rather rapidly to Tony.

"What's going on here?" Rhodes appeared from behind me. He looked frustrated, almost downright furious.

"The after party begins now!" Tony screamed into the microphone and people started cheering. Rhodes moved through the crowd and got to Tony. I moved forward, but Pepper cut me off.

"We need to go." I looked from her, to Natasha, and then to Tony who was now shooting bottles with the Iron man suit.

"We can't just leave him! He could do something stupid or hurt someone…" I watched women throw wine bottles up to be shot.

"Well stupider anyway." I was worried about Tony. He had totally lost it. It was true that he was dying, that he was losing his life every time he used the iron man suit, every time he took a breath.

"Hey, what happened to Rhodes?" Natasha asked. Come to think of it, he had disappeared rather quickly.

"Naia, you okay?" Troy, Victor, and Russy came up behind me. I watched Tony continue to make a fool of himself. Suddenly something smashed up through the floor, sending Tony flying into the opposite wall. People screamed as they ran for the exits. We fought with the crowd to stay nearby, but we kept being pushed back. Troy and the others were pushed out the door by Pepper and Natasha which left me to slip into a corner until the crowd thinned out.

"Take off the suit Tony." Was that Rhodes? I looked around the corner and found…two ironmen? One was obviously Tony with the fire truck red and gold colored suit, but the other was a new prototype, all silver with an arc reactor embedded into the chest. It was one of mine.

Tony pulled himself from the rubble, trying and failing to stay standing due to his drunken state. He flung himself at Rhodes, a little more sober than a few moments before probably due to the blow to the head. Pepper and Happy reentered, ducking as a shower of glass fell over them. They were looking for me.

Tony fought back, trying to keep Rhodes off him. They smashed tables, the bar, the stage, and various parts of the floor. Both suits were scratched and worn by the third hit. Tony was thrown through the ceiling, showering debri everywhere. The house was already destroyed when the two faced each other again.

"I'll say it again Tony, take off the suit." They were pointing their hands at each other. Light was pooling in their palms.

"Stop it!" I screamed and ran forward. It was fast. One moment I was moving towards the two men and the next, a flash of light and the pull on my subconscious. It was dark, black with light from the twinkling stars that cast shadows over the ground.

"Loki?" I called into the black. It had to be, there was no other way I would lose consciousness that quickly. There wasn't any movement that I could see. I stepped forward and a rush of wind pressed against my back. A cold chill ran up my spine, but my body created a warmer sensation.

"Loki?" I called again. There was another rush of wind and a new shadow joined me. I reached forward only to have my hand meet air. I left my hand there until something became cold and solid underneath my fingers.

"What happened?" I whispered. He said nothing, but now I could at least see him, the back of him anyway. It suddenly fell a few degrees. He wasn't wearing his cape anymore, just the cold leather armor that hugged his form. He didn't move, but didn't respond to my touch even though I knew he felt the tingling as I did.

"Loki…"

"I'm a monster." He whispered. His hand came up to meet mine, the fingers more cold than before. I lit my fingers into a bright blue fire. From the light of the flame I saw the blue color of his hands, the scar markings on the skin. Was there something wrong? Was he hurt?

"What happened to you?" He turned around slowly, his eyes fixed on the ground. I kept my hand alight and in the flickering flame I gazed upon a different face than the one I had come to know. His skin was an icy blue with white tint like frost with scars running in circles and swirls all over his face and neck from what I could see. He finally looked up at me, his eyes a brilliant and fiery red like my hair. His slicked back black hair shone against the blue of his skin. I could see tears frosting on his cheeks as they fell from his eyes.

"I don't understand." A change of skin, how did this make him a monster? His eyeslids fluttered slightly before his eyes met mine. There must have been something he didn't tell me, something I didn't know.

"Of course, a midgardian wouldn't understand."

"Then help me understand." I took his cool hand into my fiery fingers. He didn't speak, he didn't move. When he looked up at me, his eyes were filled with fury.

"You are ignorant mortal, how do you think you would ever understand?! I was lied to my whole life! My birth father was a monster, a Jotunn and you think you can understand?" He screamed at me, ice was forming on his fingers, but I continued to burn it down, not relinquishing my grip on his hand. I had heard that name before, Jotunn. They were the species of Frost Giant that lived in an icy wasteland. From mythology they were the worst enemy of Asgardians and were constantly looking for ways into war.

"Then why did you call me?" My voice was low, angry, frustrated. The world began to spin, causing the stars to slide and shoot at odd angles. I could feel my skin heating up. Loki didn't speak, but glared at me.

"To see why I had decided to speak to you, why did I feel as if you had to know?" He growled, the last question for himself rather than me.

"I am your friend."

"You are a weak and insignificant mortal and I never should have made contact!" His voice broke and I felt fire course through my veins, the transformation overcoming my whole being. I felt my feet leave the ground, my hair begin to float around my head.

"You think you are a monster? A change of skin color and temperature and you suddenly become a freak?!" I screamed. He stood in awe of my transformation, the energy floating about and licking at the world around me.

"I wanted to know you! To understand some one I had thought only existed in dreams! You bonded us, why do this now?!" I yelled.

"How could you ever realize what it was like?! To know you were taken only to be used like some relic when you thought your family loved you! You don't even have a family! At least you grew up alone! At least you were always a freak!" He screamed. I sensed it before I felt it. The feeling of anger as I listened to those voices. One after another they mocked me.

"Freak!"

"Loser!"

"You'll never have a family or be normal like us!"

"Stay away from me you monster!"

"No, stop it!" I screamed, trying to shut down the voices in my head.

I lost control, screaming into the space and making the sky break, shattering around me like pieces of glass. Bright light surrounded us, the white of it engulfing me and Loki separately.

"Make it stop!" I muttered and the light plated around us. Loki actually looked surprised, scared as his skin turned to normal.

"Please!" The plated light shattered and I felt a jolt as my subconscious was pulled away from the god. He flew backwards into the abyss and the last thing I saw were his emerald eyes until they twinkled out into the darkness and all was silent.

I collapsed, dark ripples flowing from beneath me as I hit the ground, as if I was laying on water. All was dark again except the once again twinkling stars. I huddled into a ball and watched the ripples beneath me as they flowed to the ends of the small world. I felt nothing, numbness and silence. There was no movement aside from my own slight twitches as my body morphed from blue flame to that of normal flesh and blood.

I hadn't been aware of it before, but tears were beginning to flow from my eyes. My flaming form most likely evaporated the tears on contact. Now they fell freely into the water, creating more ripples in the surface below me. I wasn't entirely sure what had happened, but I couldn't feel anything of Loki anymore. I regretted my loss of control. The space that now seemed to separate me and Loki was vast. I felt betrayed even though I knew he had been upset. First Tony and now a man I could easily call my best friend.

I tried to contact Loki, but the connection seemed raw and torn. There would be no reaching him now. I tried again, pressing against the ripped connection like a lifeline, hoping that he was not gone forever. He needed me right now, needed someone who cared and understood about being a monster. I wanted the tingle of his touch, the cool feel of his skin. The more I pressed the more the connection seemed to rip.

"Loki…" My throat felt raw and inflamed. The tears kept coming, causing more ripples beneath my head.

"Loki…" I tried to get louder, but there was nothing. I sobbed silently. What had I done?

!

!

!

!

Add On! Loki POV!

!

His eyes shot open, his body sweating from the exertion. It had been unintentional, contacting her, but his subconscious had created the link. His mind had spoken to her and he was unable to control his grief. Now he was truly alone.

She had become fire, brilliant blue fire that had licked at his skin and made him feel warm. He held his head, the sting of the flames evident in his limps. She had never transformed before, never shown him such a power. Loki began to wonder what else he might have missed during Thor's coronation pause. His trick of letting in the frost giants had become a full on war against his senses. He was the creature everyone feared. This was why he had never fit in, because of what he was.

The link that had once been so strong between himself and the mortal was ripped to shreds, a result of her power surge he had caused.

"What have I done?" He felt the shreds trying to reform. Was she trying to reactivate the connection? It was like a rippling of ripped linen in the wind, faint but still there. She was reaching for him weakly. He felt tears prick at his eyes.

He didn't deserve a companion like her, someone who cared so much. He was disgusting, a frozen monster. Stuck in loathing for himself he tried to suppress the ripple in his mind. He saw her face, her long silken red hair. He felt her against him, the tingling warmth rising in his chest resting just over his heart. What had this mortal woman done to him? It was painful thinking of her so he stopped. He needed to focus on the problem at hand. He would finish this and then he would find her again.


	8. Chapter 8: Reunited

When I woke up I was in a bright white room. I found it suddenly hard to breathe. There was something stuck in my throat. I started to gag, trying to get the foreign object out of my air way. There was the sound of voices and then a man in green scrubs appeared before my eyes. The object in my throat was pulled out, a long tube that was probably used to feed me. How long had I been out? I sat up to find my body stiff.  
“Careful now Miss Stark, you’ve been out for a while.” The man in mint green said. His face was covered by a paper mask.  
“Where am I?” My throat was raw and my voice sounded dry.  
“The hospital, you’ve been in a coma for three weeks.” I blinked. Three whole weeks? There was commotion outside the door and someone pushed through into the room. Tony looked rather disheveled. His hair was a bit out of sorts and his beard wasn’t as well trimmed as usual. His clothes were wonderfully pressed though, probably thanks to the ever perfect Pepper Potts who entered the room right after. An orderly was trying to hold the two back, but it seems they had forced their way in. The man in scrubs looked rather frustrated.

“You were told to wait outside Miss Potts, Mr. Stark.”   
“No freaking way minty, my daughter has been out for three weeks, I’m staying here.” Tony moved to the chair at my side. Pepper smiled.  
“How do you feel Naia?”   
“Stiff but okay. Did something happen?” Pepper looked at Tony who looked away unhappily.  
“You don’t remember?” I tried to think back. The last thing I remembered was Tony and Rhody in Ironman suits about to shoot at one another. Wait a minute…  
“Did the blast from the suit hit me?” Tony made a descending noise through his nose. Pepper nodded. So that was why I had been in a coma. I must have passed out when the blast hit me, that was why I got pulled into Loki’s mind. I flinched. He was long gone now. I stared down at my hands.  
“I didn’t mean it kiddo, it was just…”  
“Explain what happened in the last few weeks and we are square.” Tony went into the story of what happened after I went into a coma. He shared the new element that was now keeping his heart beating without poisoning him so he wasn’t going to die. He explained what happened at the Stark Expo and that Hammer had gotten arrested. That fact made me smile to no end. I slept a little more before going home. I was as stiff as a board and it was impossible to move properly for a few weeks. When I could move, I called on Natasha. She was wearing her leather suit all the time now since Tony knew who she was. My fellow red head sat in a chair next to my bed. I may have been able to move around, but the coma had upset my immune system.   
“You wanted to speak with me?” She asked. I nodded.  
“Is your offer still on the table.” Natasha raised an eyebrow, but she knew what I was talking about.  
“Are you sure? Once you sign on its damn hard to get out.” I stared down at my hands. I couldn’t tell her why, but yes I was sure. If there was anyway to get in contact with Loki again I would fight for it.  
“Yes, I’m sure.”  
!  
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!

I was looking out the window again, I found myself doing that a lot lately. Ever since waking up from my almost week long coma three years ago I had found myself wondering about worlds outside of this one. Tony had freaked out, but he had also hooked up with Pepper so there was a plus. I had followed Fury with the tesseract to S.H.I.E.L.D. where I learned how to use my power. The flaming fury I had become was a form of synching with the tesseract. With the help of Dr. Selvig, I was learning how to synch more of the energy with my human body. I had just turned 22, I already felt so old.  
“Naia! Call for you!” I was hooked up to electrodes that Dr. Selvig was monitoring as I tried to synch. Barton moved down the stairs, making metal clanging noises as his boots hit. I powered down just as Selvig entered the data.  
“86% this time.” Dr. Selvig got super excited. I moved to the side and placed on the robe in the corner. Barton held out a cell phone. I met him halfway and put my ear to the phone.  
“You wouldn’t be too busy would you?” I smiled.  
“Hello Steve and no I’m not.” Captain America had become my best friend after I lost connection with the old world. The only people I talked to were the people here at S.H.I.E.L.D. and my family aka Pepper and Tony. Steve was being watched so I had met him through Fury. We clicked almost instantly and honestly? I was such a sucker for the sweet ones.  
“Well I thought you’d like to come get some pop with me. Maybe go out and see a film?” I loved the way he talked, he was so old it was cute.  
“Sure hon, I’d love to, just you and me or should I expect others?” I giggled.   
“Nah, you are the only person I really know around here so just you and me.” I loved Steve, he was like the best friend you grew up with.  
“Sure Steve, just let me get dressed, we got another test done today. Meet you outside?” I asked. He knew where the tests were taken, the house of the tesseract.  
“Way ahead of you Naia, see you upstairs!” The phone clicked off and I handed it back to Barton.  
“Meeting your boyfriend?” He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.  
“Nope I’m going out with yours, he promised me a drink.” I grinned as I passed, Natasha was giggling at the top of the stairs.

“You don’t think he got too offended right?” I asked. She shook her head.  
“No, he usually gets it. So reporting to Coulson before you go off base?” She asked. We called Coulson Bartons boyfriend, it was quite hilarious really.  
“Yeah, he has my extra clothes too.” I shook my head, waving to Natasha as we split ways down the hall. I had bonded with a lot of people here, Natasha, Clint, Phil, Selvig or Erik as he was trying to make me call him, and of course good old Steve. I met up with Coulson in the observing room just above the testing floor. There was an open window covered by bullet proof glass to see out. Erik was putting up some more data. The other engineers ran around the floor checking the machines monitoring the tesseract.

“86%, that’s…better.” Phil grinned. He held out my solid black hiking bag and I ripped it from his fingers.  
“I’d like to see you do it superman. Anyway, I do get the rest of the day off right?” Coulson grinned.  
“The rest of the week if you really wanted it. Pepper has been calling a lot for you to come see the new tower. She says Tony is doing well too.” I smiled, good to know my father was happy. After his replacement reactor the new element was faring wonderfully. I actually hadn’t seen either of them in about a week and a half.  
“I think I’ll take that. I need to see Tony and Pepper anyway.” I stepped behind one of the pillars to change quickly. I had packed a pair of black flared yoga pants and a white tank top that had a plaid button up long sleeved shirt over top. All of that and my favorite pair of bronze gladiator sandals. I changed quickly, ran a brush through my hair and placed the brush back in my bag before stepping back out. Phil had turned around out of respect.   
“I guess that’s it then. I’ll tell Captain you said hey yeah?” I could have sworn there was a look of longing on the agents face.

“Sure and maybe ask him to come around more often?” He asked hopefully. I smiled.  
“Sure thing Phil, but you know I can’t promise anything.” He nodded and gave me a hug before I walked out. I rolled up the button ups sleeves to my elbows and kept the front unbuttoned. My long red hair was still free, hanging in waves to my waist. I had forgotten to put it up. I stepped onto the elevator that led above ground. It started flying up really quickly. When I stepped off onto the platform onto the first floor I spotted Steve. He was wearing a plain tan t shirt and long khaki pants with regular tennis shoes. His dirty blond hair was parted to the side again and his bright blue eyes were staring out the window.

“Hey Steve!” I practically tackled him running into his arms. He didn’t even waver. Why did he have to be so tall?  
“Hello Naia, ready to head out?” He asked kindly, his arms wrapping around me in a hug.  
“Yes, so ready it isn’t even funny.” He laughed and took my hand leading me out to his motorcycle. It was an old Harley, one of the models from the forties. He handed me a helmet and I got on behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist. We left, not really able to talk on the way since the wind was whipping past us. I had put the bookbag on my back and it kept my back warm. When we got into town Steve parked his bike just outside the cinema. It was a small town outside the base with little more than a cinema, a few bars, and a motel that could pass for a three star place. Next to the cinema was a nice little café styled like the forties, old soda machine and everything. The cinema played old movies so we went to see a Marilyn Monroe movie “Some Like It Hot” and it was amazing. I had always liked the oldies. After the movie we headed over to the café for ice cream sundaes and root beer floats.

“Thanks for inviting me Steve, I get so lonely at the base. Natasha, Coulson, and Clint are always busy.” I smiled as I took a bite of the chocolate ice cream sundae.  
“Sure, it isn’t every day I get to see you.” I nudged him.  
“You could if you wanted to Steve, just bother me more.” I grinned. He smiled back.  
“I could do that, but I just don’t know Naia…” He turned back to his own sundae. I raised an eyebrow.

“What’s on your mind?” I asked, watching him mess with the ice cream, carving paths across its surface with the surface of his spoon. He didn’t look up at me.  
“I’m not sure Naia, this is all so…”  
“New?” I supplied. His bright blues turned to face me, nodding his head.  
“Yeah, I’m still not used to the idea of where I am. You’d probably get bored of me if we did much else.” He was so self conscious it was cute. I hugged his arm.  
“You’re my friend Steve and I like you because of who you are. I could show you the world if you wanted, help you transition if you feel that way.” I grinned and he took his arm out of my grip, wrapping it around my shoulders.

“You know, I’m really glad I met you.” He smiled.  
“Even if you had to be frozen to do so?” I asked. He chuckled.  
“Yes, even though I had to be frozen.” We hugged and finished our sundaes before my cell phone went off.   
“Hello, Naiira Stark what’s your pleasure?” I knew who it was, I just liked messing with him.  
“Well seeing my daughter comes to mind.” I grinned even brighter.  
“Hey Tony, you getting bored all alone?” I asked. Someone cleared their throat in the back ground.  
“I’m inclined to say no otherwise I won’t get any attention from Pepper for the rest of the year.” I giggled.  
“That would just be tragic wouldn’t it?” The phone got transferred.  
“Come home for a little while Naia, the tower is almost done and we want you here.” Pepper mused, her voice pleading.  
“I suppose I can, I already told Phil I was taking a week so why not? Do you mind if Steve brings me home?” I had a feeling I was on speakerphone at this point. Steve tensed next to me. He and my father didn’t get along because Tony was a little snarky…okay very snarky.  
“You are still seeing him? What happened to Troy?” I blushed.  
“We are friends, Dad, and I would appreciate it if you weren’t so cruel to him.” Steve winced. I knew Tony hated being called dad.   
“I’ll make sure he behaves, just come home. You can even invite Steve for dinner.” Tony tried to protest, but Pepper stopped him.  
“Deal, see you later!” I hung up before anything else was said. I turned to Steve and smiled.  
“How does Chinese sound for dinner?” He raised an eyebrow.  
“Fine I guess, why?”  
“Cause you are eating with me, Pepper, and Tony tonight.”   
!  
!  
!  
It was awkward at first, but the night went alright. Pepper and I talked while the men sat in silence slurping noodles.   
“You want me to come get you tomorrow? You could show me around?” He asked curiously. I shook my head.  
“I’ll call you, but tomorrow I promised Pepper I’d hang out with her. I’m free tomorrow night though.” I smiled.  
“Just call me okay?” I nodded and kissed his cheek before waving goodbye. Suddenly my head began to pound, my body was starting to glow.  
“Naiira?” Steve called out.  
“The tessaract, it’s reacting. I have to get back to base, tell Pepper.” My skin became the electric blue, gleaming as my body quickly transformed into it’s pure energy form. I wasted no time in flying for base at the speed of light. My whole body fizzed and tingled. What was happening? I felt a strange rumbling as my whole body was bathed in energy. Had the tessaract overloaded? The sounds of crumbling foundation and finally shouts reached my sensitive ears.  
“Find Naia quickly!” I heard Fury’s voice call as I came upon the crumbling base. Trucks and SUV’s were flying across the road to safety. Then I felt a warmth, a call in the back of my mind.  
“Naiira, come to me.” It was a whisper that my body did not wish to refuse. Pleasant warm tingles shot up my spine. I flew towards the energy, the feeling until I found myself landing on the back of a large black truck driven by Agent Barton with Dr. Selvig in the passenger seat. Yet I only had eyes for one man. I hadn’t thought about the god in years and yet here he was before my eyes. His slick black hair had grown a few inches so it now reached his shoulders. His dark green eyes were surrounded by black circles. In my pure energy form I touched his face, making the skin turn blue.  
“Loki…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it was quick, being without Loki and him suddenly coming back, but since she was in a coma I figured it would be boring to put in two or three chapters of her training at S.H.I.E.L.D. and all. All the information is put across in this one chapter.


	9. Chapter 9: His Story

My body had reacted to Loki the same way it had so many years ago. It felt as if he hadn't even left.

"Hello Naiira." That voice, it sent shivers down my spine. I felt no anger for this man, not like I had when we first separated. He looked so tired and disheveled it would have been hard to stay angry.

"Loki…what are you doing here?" I willed my body to keep energy form otherwise I would have been naked. He pulled off his coat and held it out to me. I got the picture, powering down and wrapping myself in the cool leather. It smelled like him, the comfort of it overwhelming.

"I'm here for you my little Naiira." He revealed a long staff of gold with a bright blue stone in the end. A sad look overcame his eyes as he pointed the sharp end at my chest. When it touched I felt somehow relaxed and I fell into Loki's arms. He kept me close.

"You are mine my Naiira." He whispered, kissing my forehead. The domination didn't bother me for some reason.

"Yes my King." Did I really just say that? My mind was almost separate from my body, seeing things through different eyes. What was happening?

!

Fury cursed. He had seen Naiira land and he knew Loki would have control of her by now. Once he had told Pepper and Tony they would strangle him. Steve already knew and was furious that he hadn't done something. Pieces were beginning to fall into place. He looked down at the closed folder on his desk.

"Avengers Initiative."

It read. It was a classified file he had requested a few hours ago. As he sat there the agents were coming together. They needed to stop Loki and return their agents to their right minds or who knows what kind of havoc would be wrought.

"Sir, they insisted." Tony and Steve had entered the room, both of them looking rather angry.

"You let her get kidnapped Fury?! Do you know the kind of hell Pepper is giving me about this?!" Tony shouted. Steve shook his head.

"What are we going to do about it?" He was trying to keep calm. Fury stood up and walked around in front of them.

"We're working on it. Sadly we aren't entirely sure of the power Loki has. If we could study that staff we could find a way to deactivate it."

"That isn't good enough! What are you doing to bring her back?!" Tony screamed. Fury stayed calm.

"Everything we can Mr. Stark, Everything we can."

!

Loki had kept me close the whole time he recruited. I wasn't surprised to find many people happy to work against S.H.I.E.L.D. We were creating a lab around the tesseract and I was surprised that I didn't protest into helping. My body wasn't really listening to what was left of my mind. Dr. Selvig and Clint were fully controlled, their eyes a nebula shaped electric blue around the pupils. Yet I could think, my mind was untouched, but I couldn't fight back.

"My pet I am sorry but I can't allow you out of my sight, you understand yes?" I wanted to scream, to yell at the top of my lungs that everything he was doing was betraying me.

"Of course my Lord, if you find it necessary then I trust your judgement." Did I just say that? I tried to contact someone, anyone, but the channel was blocked. I couldn't even reach the mind beside me. What had become of Loki? He had been so different when we first met and now he wanted to take over the world? Something smelled fishy here. I remembered a day or two ago when I had first seen him. He looked tired, broken, and worn. Loki had always been majesty incarnate, he wasn't being himself.

"Come my darling, I wish to show you something." His voice was even hollow compared to what it used to be. He pulled me along and into a small room alone. He closed the door and pressed the staff to my chest again. I felt my body begin to listen to my commands. The first thing I did was punch Loki right in the jaw.

"Good to see you too Naia." He chuckled.

"You asshole! You think I'd just forgive you after all this time?! And then you come to my planet, control me, and try to take over?! What part of that is even a little bit okay?!" I yelled. I felt my skin heating up. Loki took me in his arms, those emerald eyes glimmering.

"I never thought it would be okay, but I had to make you listen. Please let me explain." I didn't want to, I wanted to say no, but I couldn't. Whether he was faking the sadness behind his eyes or if it was real I knew I couldn't say no to him. So I stayed silent. Loki sighed.

"I didn't mean what I said before. You aren't a freak, I just…snapped. My family that I thought loved me had lied to me since I was young. I couldn't stand the pressure. As for Midgard…that's just for fun." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. Something was off and I wanted to find out what it was.

"Alright I forgive the freak comment, but not the world domination thing." I pulled myself away from him and crossed my arms over my chest. There was silence for a few moments before Loki placed his palm to my cheek.

"I did miss your fire Naiira." Something in the way he moved made it seem okay, that he wasn't lying to me. I took his hand and started tracing patterns on his skin. Even though he looked broken and tired, he was still beautiful. I could never deny how much I had missed him or how much I had wanted to be able to touch him in person. He bent down and placed his lips on my own. It reminded me of the strange kiss we had shared before he went crazy. Those lips molded against mine expertly, pressing gently as if he was afraid he would break me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed harder, letting him know I wasn't some delicate flower. He crushed me against his chest, my body flush against his. The contact sent shivers down my spine. I wanted him, god help me I wanted him! Those soft lips left my own before claiming my mouth again. We were breathing through our noses, keeping contact as long as possible. My heart was fluttering out of my chest. He was the enemy, but I liked that. Something always told me I'd go for the bad boys.

He licked my bottom lip, but I pulled back trying to catch my breath. My vision was hazy as I fought to get oxygen to my brain.

"You look beautiful in heat." He whispered huskily. I smashed my lips against his again and again. It was as if some new consciousness had come over me. The only thing I wanted was the god in front of me. He rested his nose against mine.

"I can't control you, not fully. It makes you different, I like that about you." He muttered. I wasn't sure what made me do it, but I had done it of my own accord. I cupped Loki's face and heated up my fingers causing his skin to turn that magnificent blue beneath my hand.

"It seems no matter what I do I'm bound to you." As I said it someone knocked on the door. Loki moved his head, but kept me close.

"My lord, the preparations are almost ready." It was Dr. Selvig. I gripped Loki's sleeve.

"One moment." Footsteps were heard going down the hall away from us.

"Please stop this." Loki looked down at me in anguish.

"I can not. You do not understand." His arms fell to his sides as he made his way towards the door.

"Then help me understand." I whispered. He froze, his hand on the door knob as he sighed.

"I won't put you under my control again, but you may not leave this room without me." With that he disappeared through the door as I heard it lock behind him. I didn't really think of escaping and I was sure Loki knew I wouldn't try. My curiousity of the situation had gotten the better of me. I needed to know what was making him do this.

!

Loki screamed and practically threw everything, smashing foolish human belongings against the walls of the room. He sat in anguish, feeling the unwelcome tears falling down his cheeks.

"You know she is part of the tessaract. She comes with us." The words the Chitauri had spoken to him made Loki feel sick. Naiira was his only friend, the only person he trusted in this world. In such a short time he had bonded with her, his soul was one with hers. When he fell from the Bifrost he had thoughts of her. He had wondered if he would see her again and here she was, so close it was unbearable. Everyday he was tortured he thought only of her. She had been a light at the end of a long dark tunnel and now he had been told he would have to give her to his enemies. He had promised, the entity had told him the girl would be unharmed and yet here he was. Naiira would not be allowed out without him, he just couldn't risk it.

Yet if he failed to deliver he would be murdered. He had always been a solitary being, a soul alone until he met her and now he had to watch out for her. If anything came to harm her he would never forgive himself. For the first time in his life, Loki cared about what happened to someone else. If he could keep the Chitauri off of her just long enough he figured they could escape. Would she come with him though? She seemed so loving towards him, soft where he was concerned. This thought made his heart pound. Those kisses surely meant something.

"Naiira is mine." He whispered as if making the sentence absolute by speaking it aloud. She cared about him and he wasn't losing her now.

!

That night Loki appeared again. He looked just as worn as before if not more so. He sat on the small bed in the room, leaning forward with his arms on his knees. At first we were quiet. He took my hand and closed his eyes, breathing deep as if he'd never had air before. I didn't say anything, trying to let him relax long enough to speak.

"I was a king." He whispered. I squeezed his hand to reassure him it would be okay to continue. He looked up at me, his emerald eyes shining.

"Thor was banished. During his coronation I allowed a few Jotun to enter the archives. I knew they wouldn't get far and at first it was just to stop Thor from being crowned, so father could see how unready he was and it worked at first…" He took another series of deep breathes before continuing again.

"I goaded him until he decided to travel to the forbidden realm of Jotunheim. His four friends and I found Laufey there, the ruler of the Jotuns. Yet when he allowed us to go Thor showed confrontation and we were forced to fight an army of Jotun. Fandral was mortally wounded so we agreed to leave quickly, but… A Jotun reached and touched Volstagg, burning his skin. Yet when one came upon my, my armor shattered and my skin became blue. I killed the Jotun and ran. The damage had been done, I knew what I was, I just had to confirm it." I scooted closer to him and placed my other gently on his leg. He gripped it and placed the hand to his chest instead. I released my grip on his hand and laid it on his cheek. He relaxed under my touch.

"Thor was banished for disobeying fathers orders. The others begged me to plead for my brothers return, but how could I? He was foolish and stubborn. If he returned he would have been crowned and I would not allow him to ruin our kingdom. I confronted my father about my discovery and he confirmed that I was a Jotun, the child of Laufey that was thrown away because of my size." He gripped my hand tightly against his chest. I rubbed his cheek soothingly.

"The shock of my anger put him into the Odinsleep, a coma that he would only awake from when his powers had fully regenerated. My mother told me she had never seen him this way, that she was unsure if he would wake again. I was ashamed. Ashamed of what I was, of what I had done to my own father, the man who had taken me in and raised me when I had been abandoned. I never wanted the crown, nor the power that went with it, but it was forced upon me since I was the only heir left. I made a promise that I would prove to my father that I was a worthy son. Blinded by greed and purpose I made all decisions in this way. I tried to harm my brother so he would not return before my plans were completed, I led Laufey into Asgard for the express purpose of killing him and saving my fathers life, and I froze Heimdall in ice when he refused to help me. I killed Laufey, the father who had abandoned me to save my true fathers life. Thor returned, trying to stop me, yet I would not pay heed. I tried to destroy all of Jotunheim with the bifrost, freezing it's beam on the wasteland of ice. I fought my brother and lost. The bifrost was destroyed, creating a hole in the world. My father awakened only to refute all the things I had done for him! So I fell into the hole created by the bifrost." I was careful not to say anything, making sure he was finished before I spoke.

"How are you alive?" He looked down again, having said everything while looking into my eyes.

"I can't tell you that." He whispered. I took my hands away from him.

"Why not? You told me everything else." I asked, annoyed. He shook his head.

"You don't understand, it's complicated."

"Then help me understand Loki! I want to help you! You look so tired, so unlike yourself and you are acting different than the god I knew before. Help me to help you." I insisted. He snarled and stood, glaring down at me.

"Isn't it obvious? I can't tell you anything more!"

"Why not?!"

"Because I'm trying to protect you!" He screamed. The room seemed to reverberate with the silence that spread as I fully absorbed his words.

"It has to do with my powers, my path to the tesseract." Loki did not deny or accept the statement as truth, but it had to be true. If he was protecting me there was no other reason someone would want me. The connection I had with the tesseract was still unexplained and unstable, but if it had gotten out to the reaches of Asgard and beyond.

"The Chitauri, my army, desire the tesseract." He mused. At least he was telling me something.

"So they want me?" I asked. He shifted his weight.

"Not exactly." I was growing annoyed with him beating around the subject.

"If you don't want to tell me fine, but I can take care of myself." I snorted. Loki looked me straight in the eye, moving until he leaned in front of my, his hands pressing my own into the mattress and his face close enough that our noses brushed. He pressed his forehead to mine and breathed carefully.

"Despite my purpose, despite what I will do no harm will ever come to you." He whispered before pulling back and leaving, the feeling of his breath still heavy in the air. I still wasn't sure what I felt for the god of mischief, but it seemed as if he cared much for me. We had truly grown close and even as the years past that connection had never faded. I wasn't sure, but somehow I knew this wasn't going to end well.

On one hand was my best friend, father, and practically mother. The people who were fighting to keep the world free as I wished it would be. Yet here I had a strange god who I couldn't sever my connection with no matter how much I wished I could. It was obvious in my mind that I was in too deep, that I cared too much for a man who was now supposed to be my enemy. At first I had been alone and now I had more people I cared about than could count one hand. I laid down to rest, maybe a little sleep would do me some good.

!

Loki still refused to admit it to himself. This woman, this midgardian, had been close to his heart ever since they first made contact. They were similar in so many ways. In society they were both outcasts, different, and no one seemed to understand that. He hated the connection, he hated this constant burden, and he hated keeping things from the one person he trusted.

As he moved thorough the lab he found himself sitting, watching Selvig build the machine that would allow the Chitauri to enter the Midgardian realm. He closed his eyes and there he was, among the stars on a white landscape with hollows and stretching chasms.

"He is growing impatient." A hiss came from behind one of the pillars. It was the other, leader of the Chitauri army.

"I'm sure, but I haven't made the preparations yet." Loki muttered. The other chuckled, the sound being more like a hiss than anything else.

"He says you have become too attached to the woman. Perhaps we could take her off your hands."

"You will touch nothing of Midgard until I say so." The other appeared before the god, his tattered cloak covering up most of his horrible face.

"You will give us the tesseract and the girl or you will suffer more than ever before, Loki." The other pressed against Loki's temple and the god was pulled back to his present state watching Selvig tinker with the machine. His thoughts gave away his cowardice, but could he really betray her? If he thought only of how she deserted him, pushed him away he might be able to. His anger mounted, yet he refused to think of how it was his fault she had broken the connection in the first place. He hoped it would be enough to give her away, to lose her for the sake of life. Yet it seemed as if another part of him screamed in protest, Loki was satisfied with this thought. If only he had known it was not his own thoughts that led him here…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is unedited from the original and may change at some point. The other chapters were looked over and rewritten a few times fyi.

**Author's Note:**

> :)


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